The Unanimous Declaration by the Buddhas of the Three Existencesregarding the Classification of the Teachings and Which Are to Be Abandoned and Which Upheld Chapter20

Written by Nichiren

It is essential that one give close study to the three teachings that run through all Buddhism. These three are the sudden teaching, the gradual teaching, and the perfect teaching. These are the unity of the three truths set forth in the sacred teachings of the Buddha’s lifetime.

The first two teachings, sudden and gradual, were expounded by the Buddha in the first forty-two years of his preaching life; the perfect teaching was expounded in the last eight years. Together they represent the teachings of a period of fifty years. Outside of these, there are no other doctrines. How then can you fail to understand them correctly?

When one is still at the stage of an ordinary living being, these three teachings are referred to as the three truths. When one has attained the goal of Buddhahood, they are called the three bodies. These are different names for the same thing. The process of expounding and bringing them to light is known as the sacred teachings of the Buddha’s lifetime. When one opens up and merges these so that one can perceive that the three truths constitute a single entity, this is to attain Buddhahood. This is called opening up and merging, and this is the teaching that pertains to the Buddha’s enlightenment.

In the doctrinal systems expounded in the other schools, these three truths that constitute a unity are treated as separate and expounded under eight headings.⁵⁰ Each of these eight forms the basis for a particular school; thus they are all lacking in the principle of full and perfect unity and hence have no truth by which one may attain Buddhahood.

In these other schools, there is no possibility of truly attaining Buddhahood—therefore one dislikes them. But what one dislikes about them is the fact that their doctrines are insufficient.

When one turns to the perfect teaching, however, and sees that all phenomena are perfectly fused together, full and perfect like the moon on the fifteenth night of the month, free of all insufficiency, and when one understands them to the fullest, then there is no more judging them as good or bad, no more choosing on the basis of what is timely, no more need to seek out a quiet setting, no more question of which persons are eligible. When one understands that all phenomena whatsoever are manifestations of the Buddhist Law, then one has fully comprehended the nature of the things of the phenomenal realm. Then even if one follows a path that is not the way,⁵¹ one will still be fulfilling the Buddha way.

Heaven, earth, water, fire, and wind are the five wisdom Thus Come Ones. They reside within the body and mind of all living beings and are never separated from them even for an instant. Therefore worldly affairs and affairs relating to enlightenment blend together in harmony within the mind of the individual; outside of the mind, there is absolutely no other thing that exists. Therefore, when one hears this truth, one can at that point immediately attain the goal of Buddhahood without a moment’s delay, for it is a principle of the utmost profundity.

The three truths that form a unity may be compared to a jewel, its brilliance, and its precious nature. Because it has these three virtues, it is called a wish-granting jewel, and it can serve as a symbol for the unity of the three truths. But if these three virtues were taken apart and treated as separate entities, then the jewel would be of no use. It would then be comparable to the various schools that expound expedient teachings in which the three truths are regarded as separate from one another.

The jewel itself is comparable to the Dharma body, its brilliance to the reward body, and its precious nature to the manifested body. When these three virtues, which form a unity, are treated as separate entities and schools are established on that basis, one dislikes such schools because of their insufficiency. But when the three are combined to form a single whole, this is known as the unity of the three truths. This unity of the three truths is comparable to the Thus Come One of original enlightenment, whose three bodies are in fact a single body.

[In terms of the four kinds of lands], the Land of Tranquil Light is comparable to a mirror, and the other three lands, the Land of Sages and Ordinary Mortals, the Land of Transition, and the Land of Actual Reward, are comparable to the images reflected in the mirror. But the four lands are one single land, just as the three bodies are one single Buddha.

Now, [with the Lotus Sutra] these three bodies and four kinds of lands blend together in harmony to form the virtue of a single Buddha, known as the Buddha of Tranquil Light. The Buddha of Tranquil Light functions as the Buddha of the perfect teaching, and the Buddha of the perfect teaching is the true Buddha of the state of wakefulness. The Buddhas of the other three lands are provisional Buddhas in a dream realm.

This is the declaration proclaimed in identical words by the Buddhas of the three existences regarding the overall classification of the teachings. No one can say a word against it, no one can try to interpret it to mean anything else. Anyone who goes against this declaration is guilty of the grave crime of turning against the Buddhas of the three existences. Such persons are the heavenly devil or non-Buddhists.

Because persons, if they do so, will be turning against the Buddhist Law for all time, this teaching must be kept secret and not revealed to others. If it is not kept secret but is recklessly made known, then people will fail to have a true understanding of the principles of the Buddhist Law and in their present and future existences will cease to receive divine protection. If persons appear who slander the Law, they will be turning their backs on the Buddhas of the three existences, and both those who reveal the secret teachings and those to whom they are revealed will fall into the evil paths of existence. Because I know that this is what will happen, I issue this warning.

Therefore one must take great care to guard these secret teachings and gain a true understanding of these principles. Doing so, one will be acting in accord with the original intention of the Buddhas of the three existences, and therefore will enjoy the protection of the two sages, the two heavenly deities, and the ten demon daughters,⁵² and without hindrance attain the highest level of rebirth, rebirth in the Land of Tranquil Light. Then in no time⁵³ one will return to the dream realm of the nine worlds, the realm of birth and death, will cause one’s body to pervade the lands of the entire phenomenal realm of the ten directions,⁵⁴ and will cause one’s mind to enter into the bodies of all sentient beings, encouraging them from within, leading and guiding them from without, inner and outer complimenting one another, causes and conditions functioning in harmony,⁵⁵ and in this way will utilize the pity and compassion of one’s freely exercised transcendental powers to bestow unhindered benefit upon living beings far and wide.