SGI-USA Study Curriculum

Lectures on the Hoben and Juryo Chapters of the Lotus Sutra
by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda

The 'Thus Come One's Secret' Indicates the Gohonzon's Power

Niji butsu go. Sho bo-satsu gyu. Issai daishu. Sho zen-nanshi. Nyoto to shinge. Nyorai jotai shi go. Bu go daishu. Nyoto to shinge. Nyorai jotai shi go. U bu go. Sho daishu. Nyoto to shinge. Nyorai jotai shi go. Zeji bo-satsu daishu. Mi-roku i shu. Gassho byaku butsu gon. Seson. Yui gan ses^shi. Gato to shinju butsu-go. Nyo ze san byaku i. Bu gon. Yui gan ses^shi. Gato to shinju butsu-go. Niji seson. Chi sho bo-satsu. San sho fu shi. Ni go shi gon. Nyoto tai cho. Nyorai hi-mitsu. Jinzu shi riki.

At that time the Buddha spoke to the bodhisattvas and all the great assembly: "Good men, you must believe and understand the truthful words of the Thus Come One." And again he said to the great assembly: "You must believe and understand the truthful words of the Thus Come One." And once more he said to the great assembly: "You must believe and understand the truthful words of the Thus Come One."

At that time the bodhisattvas and the great assembly, with Maitreya as their leader, pressed their palms together and addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, we beg you to explain. We will believe and accept the Buddha's words." They spoke in this manner three times, and then said once more: "We beg you to explain it. We will believe and accept the Buddha's words."

At that time the World-Honored One, seeing that the bodhisattvas repeated their request three times and more, spoke to them, saying: "You must listen carefully and hear of the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers. (Lotus Sutra, pp. 224-25).

Nyoto tai cho. Nyorai himitsu. Jinzu shi riki.

"You must listen carefully and hear of the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers."

At one point Shakyamuni says to his disciples, "I am most earnest when it comes to pursuing the truth." Likewise, those who dedicate themselves to the Buddhist Law should possess the eye to strictly distinguish between true and false, good and evil, and correct and erroneous. The Buddha is someone who clearly states the truth, a leader who wages a struggle using words of the utmost sincerity.

"The truthful words of the Thus Come One" means the Buddha's words of truth --- words that cause people to realize profound and enduring happiness. In the "Life Span of the Thus Come One" chapter, for the sake of those in the world after his passing, Shakyamuni finally reveals the eternal truth in accordance with which he has lived. And in the above passage, he specifically explains "truthful words" as meaning "the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers."

The phrase "the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers" indicates the great teaching that is to be expounded in the "Life Span" chapter. Shakyamuni declares to Maitreya and the others that he is at last going to reveal the secret teaching, and the powers and the functions of the Thus Come One.

In terms of its literal meaning in the context of the sutra, the "secret" (Jpn. hi-mitsu) of the Thus Come One is the revelation that Shakyamuni initially attained Buddhahood long ago in the remote past. This is termed "actual attainment in the remote past" (Jpn. kuon jitsujo).

In other words, Shakyamuni's true identity is that of the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the distant past, in the time of gohyaku-jintengo. Since his true identity was not revealed anywhere in pre-Lotus Sutra teachings or in the theoretical teaching (first half) of the Lotus Sutra, it is called "hidden" (hi). And because it is known only to the Buddha, it is described as "intimate" (mitsu). This is the secret that Shakyamuni at last clarifies and reveals in the "Life Span" chapter.

The phrase "his transcendental powers" refers to the various aspects and functions that the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past manifests in order to guide people and bring them benefit. In the "Life Span" chapter, Shakyamuni explains that ever since he first attained Buddhahood, he has been appearing in various lands as various Buddhas, expounding a variety of teachings and carrying out various actions to lead people to enlightenment.

In other words, "the Thus Come One's secret" indicates the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past, and "his transcendental powers" indicates his activities to eternally lead people to happiness.

From this standpoint, all Buddhas are nothing but "functions" of the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past. In the context of the sutra, therefore, the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past is the "true Buddha," while all other Buddhas, who are functions of this Buddha, are "provisional Buddhas." Provisional, here, means "shadow" or "vestige."

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Is the Original Identity of All Buddhas

By contrast, from the standpoint of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, we interpret "the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers" as alluding to the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the ultimate cause behind the Buddha's enlightenment in the remote past. A state of life enlightened to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the original identity of all Buddhas. This state of life itself is both the essence of Buddhahood and the life of the true Buddha. From the standpoint of the Daishonin's Buddhism, the "true Buddha" is the Buddha of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, that is, the "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Thus Come One."

"The Thus Come One's secret," therefore, refers to the "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Thus Come One." And the functions of Shakyamuni, the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past, to eternally lead people to enlightenment are ultimately the functions of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This is the meaning of "his transcendental powers" from the Daishonin's standpoint.

Accordingly, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the true Buddha. And by contrast, Shakyamuni, Taho and all other Buddhas are provisional Buddhas who manifest functions of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Now, why is the interpretation of this passage from the standpoint of the Daishonin's Buddhism important?

The reason is that without the clarification of the Law originally enabling all Buddhas to attain enlightenment, that is, of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the path for all people to attain Buddhahood could not be opened.

The attainment of Buddhahood by ordinary people is the heart of the "Life Span" chapter. And the phrase, "the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers," which is the crystallization of the contents of the entire chapter, points to the path for ordinary people to become Buddhas.

The "Life Span" chapter clarifies that the true identity of all Buddhas is grounded in Shakyamuni's attainment of enlightenment in the remote past.

Regarding the term remote past, Nichiren Daishonin says, "The culmination of this ['Life Span'] chapter is the [principle of the] attainment of enlightenment in the remote past. 'Remote past' means unmoving, uncreated, in its original state" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 759).

This is the implicit meaning of "remote past" (kuon). To distinguish this interpretation from the literal meaning of "remote past" in the context of Shakyamuni's teaching, it is also termed "time without beginning" or kuon ganjo.

As the Daishonin says, "remote past" means "in its original state." "Life in its original state" is the locus where true enlightenment occurs. And this attainment of Buddhahood is itself "the secret of the Thus Come One." The "life in its original state" of the Buddha is identical with the "life in its original state" of all people. The two could not be in any way different. Fundamentally, all people are Buddhas. The only difference is that the Buddha understands this while others are ignorant. Therefore, it is termed "the Thus Come One's secret."

"Life in its original state," which is the basis of the principle that ordinary people are the Buddhas and the Buddha is an ordinary person, is none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. It was Nichiren Daishonin who revealed this "life in its original state" of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo through his own existence as an ordinary person.

Therefore, when ordinary people such as ourselves believe in the Daishonin and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can open up the life of kuon ganjo within the entity of our own lives. This is the meaning of "transcendental powers."

Eradicating Negative Causality From Our Lives

President Toda once said:
"Nichiren Daishonin established the Law that enables ordinary people to break through the negative causality from the past existing in their lives and return to the remote past [of kuon ganjo] in the course of their day-to-day existence.

To put it another way, dedicating oneself [to the Daishonin] and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the method for transforming one's destiny for the better. Through following this method, the common mortal of kuon ganjo appears and the negative causes and effects formed in the interim all disappear."

"The common mortal of kuon ganjo appears," he says. This is a wonderful way of putting it. Herein lies the heart of the Lotus Sutra. These words express the wisdom of President Toda, who read the Lotus Sutra with his life and attained the realization that the Buddha is life itself.

By "negative causality from the past" and "negative causes and effects formed in the interim," he refers to the countless causes and effects that bring people misfortune.

However, just as the rising of the sun causes all the stars to disappear from sight and brings on a fresh morning, through faith in the Mystic Law we can at once eradicate the countless negative causes and effects that we have accumulated in our lives over the course of countless eons; and, just as we are, as ordinary people, return to the life of kuon ganjo, which is totally free of karmic impurity. This is what he means by the "appearance of the common mortal of kuon ganjo."

Attaining Buddhahood does not entail the termination of the life of the ordinary person. One certainly does not become some kind of being who is better than or superior to others.

The Daishonin says:

"We, living beings, have dwelt in the sea of the sufferings of birth and death since time without beginning. But now that we have become votaries of the Lotus Sutra, we will without fail attain the Buddha's entity which is as indestructible as a diamond, realizing that our bodies and minds that have existed since the beginningless past are inherently endowed with the eternally unchanging nature, and thus awakening to our mystic reality with our mystic wisdom. Then how can we be in any way different from the Buddha who appeared from the sea? Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, who declared in the remote past of gohyaku jintengo, "I am the only person [who can rescue and protect others,]" is none other than each of us, living beings.(MW2 [2nd. ed.], 55-56)

A State of Happiness Indestructible as a Diamond

"Our bodies and minds that have existed since the beginningless past" means "life in its original state." This is what President Toda referred to as "the common mortal of kuon ganjo." We can establish a state of eternal happiness as indestructible as a diamond-that is, the true entity of the Buddha -in our lives. This mystery of attaining Buddhahood is "the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers."

In short, "the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers" indicates the attainment of Buddhahood by ordinary people. In the "Ongi Kuden" (Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings), Nichiren Daishonin says, "Apart from attaining Buddhahood, there is no 'secret' or 'transcendental powers"' (Gosho Zenshu, p. 753).

The Buddha's "secret and his transcendental powers" definitely does not indicate supernatural or mystical abilities in the sense that these terms are commonly used.

President Toda remarked:
"People speak of transcendental powers such as flying on a cloud or some such nonsense. But the transcendental powers we are talking about are far greater. The secret and transcendental powers of the Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Thus Come One lead all people to happiness. We are concerned with the transcendental powers that enable ordinary people to become Buddhas."

The Daishonin declares that we should not place stock in supernatural or special powers. For example, in the "Sho Hokke Daimoku Sho" (Chanting the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra) he says, "One should not base judgment of the validity of a religion on the supernatural or occult powers of its followers" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 16).

Shakyamuni, too, when asked by King Ajatashatru about the difference between Buddhism and Brahmanism, said, "My teaching warns that one should not carry out questionable enchantments that entail such things as lighting fires, or practice techniques of predicting the future by the cries of animals."

Nothing is as full of mystery as human life. Nothing is as respectworthy. Ordinary people, just as they are, can become Buddhas. While remaining an ordinary person, we can establish a state of happiness and total satisfaction arising from the very depths of our being, the state of life of the Buddha. There is no greater secret or transcendental power.

The Buddha's "secret and his transcendental powers" means the ability to enable all people to enjoy a state of life of supreme happiness. In other words, it is the power to elevate the lives of all people. And this is precisely the great beneficial power of the Gohonzon.

Nichiren Daishonin expressed his own life as the Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Thus Come One in the form of the Gohonzon. "The Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers" is none other than the Gohonzon.

In the "Ongi Kuden" the Daishonin clearly says, "This Gohonzon is based on the passage, 'the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers"' (Gosho Zenshu, p. 760).

Accordingly, from the standpoint of the Daishonin's teaching, the passage, "You must listen carefully and hear of the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers," means, "Listen carefully, because the power of the Buddha and the power of the Law of the Gohonzon will now be expounded." Ultimately, the "Life Span" chapter explains and praises the power of the Gohonzon.

Our daily practice of gongyo and chanting daimoku is a struggle to break the chains of destiny and suffering so as to return to "the common mortal of kuon ganjo." And as a result of these efforts, the true path for attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime opens up before us.

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