Chapter4（Revealing the Benefits and Vigilance Required of the Practitioner of the Lotus Sutra）
Those who chant Myoho-renge-kyo [the title of the Lotus Sutra] even without understanding its meaning realize not only the heart of the Lotus Sutra, but also the “main cord,” or essential principle of the Buddha’s lifetime teachings.
A crown prince who is only one, two, or three years old will, when he ascends the throne, reign over the empire and be obeyed by the imperial regent and ministers, although he is presently unaware of this. A baby has no conscious understanding but, taking the mother’s breast, grows naturally. In contrast, an arrogant minister who belittles a young crown prince will bring about his own downfall, as did Chao Kao [of the Ch’in dynasty]. The scholars of the other sutras and schools, who look down upon the prince who chants only the title of the Lotus Sutra, will eventually cause their own ruin as Chao Kao did and fall into the hell of incessant suffering. However, if a votary of the Lotus Sutra who chants its title without knowing its meaning is frightened by the learned priests of other schools into forsaking his faith, then that person is like the young puppet emperor Hu Hai who [replaced the crown prince but] was intimidated and killed by Chao Kao.
Lecture
This text expounds the immense benefit enjoyed by the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra who chants the Daimoku of Myoho-renge-kyo—the ultimate truth of all Buddhist scriptures and the overarching main cord—while issuing a strict warning against slander of the Law and backsliding.
First, it is stated that even if a person knows nothing about the contents of the Lotus Sutra or the profound doctrines of Myoho-renge-kyo, simply by chanting the Daimoku, they will gain the exact same benefit as if they had realized not only the inner heart of the Lotus Sutra but the totality of Shakyamuni’s lifetime teachings.
This is compared to an infant crown prince of only one, two, or three years of age who ascends the throne. Due to his tender age, he does not yet realize that the entire realm is his domain, nor that the regents, chancellors, and ministers of state are all his subordinates. Nonetheless, by the sole fact of having assumed the royal seat, everything belongs to him.
It is further explained that by persistently chanting the Daimoku, one naturally arrives at the enlightened state of Buddhahood, just as an infant lacking the capacity for intellectual discernment naturally grows and thrives simply by suckling at its mother’s breast.
Therefore, if an arrogant minister were to despise and look down upon that young prince thinking he is ignorant, that minister would instead bring about his own destruction.
As an illustration of this principle, the account of Zhao Gao, a eunuch who served the First Emperor during the Qin dynasty in China, is cited.
Following the First Emperor’s death, Zhao Gao murdered the eldest son, Fusu, and enthroned the youngest son, Huhai, as the Second Emperor in order to seize absolute control. He then plotted to kill Huhai as well and claim the throne for himself, but his treacherous scheme was ultimately uncovered by Prince Ziying (the third ruler), who had him executed.
Drawing upon the tragedy of Huhai—who allowed himself to be intimidated, deceived, and ultimately murdered by Zhao Gao—the text sternly admonishes that practitioners who have embraced faith in the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra must never allow themselves to be intimidated or misled by the priests of other Buddhist sects into retreating from the correct Law.
It is stated that to backslide from faith in the Lotus Sutra would be precisely akin to Huhai being cowed and slain by Zhao Gao.
“Though an infant has no discernment, when it drinks its loving mother’s milk, it naturally grows.”
Here, the “infant” is likened to one who believes in the Lotus Sutra; having “no discernment” represents knowing nothing of the inner heart of the Lotus Sutra or the relative depth and superiority of the Buddha’s lifetime teachings; and the “loving mother’s milk” represents the Daimoku of Myoho-renge-kyo.
In other words, it is taught that even if believers of the Lotus Sutra know nothing of its complex texts or the doctrines of other sutras, simply by dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to chanting the Daimoku of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they will “naturally grow” and unfailingly attain Buddhahood.
Put another way, this demonstrates that the Daimoku of Myoho-renge-kyo possesses such boundless, peerless power and virtue.
In The Meaning of Faith, it is written:
“WHAT is called faith is nothing unusual. Faith means putting one’s trust in the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, and the heavenly gods and benevolent deities, and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as a woman cherishes her husband, as a man lays down his life for his wife, as parents refuse to abandon their children, or as a child refuses to leave its mother.
Not only that, but one should ponder the sutra passages “Honestly discarding expedient means” and “Not accepting a single verse of the other sutras”2 without the slightest thought of casting them away, as a woman refuses to part with her mirror, or as a man wears his sword.” (WND-1, p. 1036)
Let us engrave this instruction deeply in our lives in light of the passage cited above.