SGI-USA Study Curriculum

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

The Buddha Observes People's Hearts and Listens to Their Unvoiced Aspirations

Sho zen-nanshi. O ze chugen. Ga setsu nendobut^to. U bu gon go. Nyu o nehan. Nyo ze kai i. Hoben funbetsu. Sho zen-nanshi. Nyaku u shujo. Raishi ga sho. Ga i butsu-gen. Kan go shin to. Sho kon ridon. Zui sho o do. Shosho ji setsu. Myoji fudo. Nenki daisho. Yaku-bu gen gon. To nyu nehan. U i shuju hoben. Setsu mimyo ho. No ryo shujo. Hok^kangi shin.

"Good men, during that time I have spoken about the Buddha Burning Torch and others, and described how they entered nirvana. All this I employed as an expedient means to make distinctions.

"Good men, if there are living beings who come to me, I employ my Buddha eye to observe their faith and to see if their other faculties are keen or dull, and then depending upon how receptive they are to salvation, I appear in different places and preach to them under different names, and describe the length of time during which my teachings will be effective. Sometimes when I make my appearance I say that I am about to enter nirvana, and also employ different expedient means to preach the subtle and wonderful Law, thus causing living beings to awaken joyful minds." (LS- 16, 226)

During that time" refers to the period from when Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood in the remote past of gohyaku jintengo until the time of his present existence in India. In this passage, Shakyamuni speaks in detail of his activities during this interval.

First, Shakyamuni clarifies that although in the past he had spoken of the appearance of Buddha Burning Torch (Jpn Nento) and other Buddhas, and described their entering nirvana, all these accounts of past Buddhas were nothing more than expedient means.

In the passage immediately preceding this one, Shakyamuni explained that he dwells eternally in the saha world and continually takes action to lead people to enlightenment. Here he clarifies that his explanations of the appearance of past Buddhas and of their entering nirvana were merely expedient means to guide people; and that these past Buddhas were emanations that he, Shakyamuni, as the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past, had manifested.

In an earlier sutra, Shakyamuni explained that in a previous existence he had practiced under Buddha Burning Torch as a bodhisattva named Learned Youth (Jpn Judo). As a result of his practice at that time, Shakyamuni received a prediction from Buddha Burning Torch that in the future he would definitely attain enlightenment. And Shakyamuni said that his practice at that time became the cause for his initial attainment of enlightenment in his current existence. The reason why he mentions Buddha Burning Torch in particular here is that, among all the Buddhas of the past, this name was best known to Shakyamuni's listeners.

But if Buddha Burning Torch and the other Buddhas of the past are expedient means, then the Buddhist austerities Shakyamuni had practiced for countless eons under such Buddhas, and the effect of his attaining enlightenment for the first time in his present existence, are also just expedients.

In other words, with this statement Shakyamuni repudiates the causes for attaining Buddhahood accumulated "during that time" as well as the effect of his initial attainment of Buddhahood in his present existence as being expedient means.

When these intermediary causes and effects are refuted, the "true cause" of Shakyamuni's attainment of Buddhahood is found to lie rather in his practice in the remote past; his attainment of Buddhahood in the remote past is found to constitute the "true effect" that he attained. In this passage, Shakyamuni clarifies that this true cause and true effect are the actual cause and effect of his enlightenment

In raising the issue of entering nirvana, Shakyamuni is saying that Buddha Burning Torch and other Buddhas entering nirvana were expedient means.

Nirvana indicates a state of life of peace and tranquillity attained through the extermination of earthly desires. The earlier sutras further teach that through exterminating one's physical body as well, one could enter into a state of "complete nirvana." This understanding has come to inform the meaning of "entering nirvana," which indicates the death of a Buddha.

Here, in the "Life Span of the Thus Come One" (16th) chapter, Shakyamuni emphasizes that "complete nirvana," in the sense of physical and spiritual extinction, is an expedient means. In the Lotus Sutra, true nirvana does not mean physical and spiritual extinction; rather, it consists in the perfection of wisdom.

For this reason, Shakyamuni here explains that even accounts of Buddhas entering nirvana are expedient means; and that the perfected wisdom of the Buddha exists eternally as embodied in Shakyamuni, the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past. Since Shakyamuni speaks to this matter in the passage of the jigage (verse) section of the "Life Span" chapter that reads "as an expedient means I appear to enter nirvana" (LS- 16, 229), let us put off a detailed discussion of this matter until. we come to that section.

Next, in the passage that begins, "Good men, if there are living beings who come to me...," Shakyamuni reveals the nature of his activities "during that time" as the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past.

Why did Shakyamuni, the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past, appear during this interval in the guise of various Buddhas and bodhisattvas? The answer is that he was acting in accordance with the mystic principle of aspiration and appearance.

"If there are living beings who come to me" indicates "aspiration." In other words, it describes the condition where people aspire to encounter and possess a seeking mind for the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past.

The passage, "I employ my Buddha eye to observe their faith." describes the "appearance" of the Buddha of gohyaku jintengo. In response to people's seeking minds, the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past appears in the world in the form of various Buddhas and bodhisattvas.

The Buddha's appearance is fundamentally motivated by compassion.

Deep in their lives, those experiencing pain and suffering seek Buddhism; they aspire to encounter the Buddha. The Buddha, due to his power of compassion, hears their unvoiced cries and yearns to help them. And he appears in the world in order to lead all people to happiness. This is the mystic principle of aspiration and appearance.

To take action in response to seeing someone suffering is to manifest the compassion of the Buddha. This spirit of compassion, this spirit to sympathize with the sufferings of others, underlies the practice of the SGI. Precisely because we base ourselves on such a spirit of compassion, earnestness is born, wisdom wells forth, ideas are quickly translated into action, and there is development. We absolutely must never forget this.

President Toda once said, "People aspire for the Buddha and desire an outstanding leader, and in response the Buddha appears." The Buddha is a true leader who embodies a profound understanding of life.

We may encounter stalemates in life and society, and as a civilization. Possessing a philosophy offering profound insight into life enables one to open the way forward through such deadlocks.

In an age lacking philosophy, people's hearts tend to wander and drift. "Something seems wrong with how things are, but I don't know what to do," people say to themselves. "I want to become happy. But I don't know what real happiness is."

Broadly speaking, these unvoiced cries represent people's aspirations and their call to the Buddha for help. Following the example of the Buddha, let us stand up in response to people's cries and generate a current of dialogue for truth and justice.

The Buddha Yearns To Share His Benefit With Others

Shakyamuni then details how he, as the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past, has appeared in order to lead those seeking Buddhism to enlightenment.

First, he says that he uses his Buddha eye to determine whether their faculties are keen or dull, and so gauges how it might be possible to lead them to enlightenment. And on that basis, he has appeared in different lands under different names, and postulated different spans during which his teachings would be efficacious. In other words, Shakyamuni explains that he has appeared as various Buddhas and bodhisattvas of different names and whose teachings endure for different periods.

He also says that at times he has announced that he would enter nirvana and then appeared to do so.

The truth is that the life of the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past is eternal. But in order to guide people, as an expedient means, he has appeared under a variety of names and assumed various limited life spans, and then pretended to enter nirvana.

The Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the past, as emanations of Shakyamuni who attained enlightenment in the remote past, appeared in order to guide people toward enlightenment. The Buddha thus freely shares his eternal life with his various emanations to teach and guide the people.

Eternal life is the Buddha's immeasurable benefit. T'ien-t'ai says, "'To fathom the life span' (Jpn juryo) means to measure and elucidate the benefit of various Buddhas" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 752).

Allowing his span of life to be fully consumed in the process, Shakyamuni bestowed his benefit upon people in countless different places and ages. For the Buddha to save the people means for him to share his immense life force --- his life span --- with others. Fundamentally, the Buddha's benefit is life force; it is the power to survive. In the "Life Span" chapter, Shakyamuni clarifies that the Buddha's life span is in fact immeasurable.

Each day, we receive this immeasurable life force, this immeasurable benefit, from the Gohonzon. Therefore, the more we praise the great beneficial power of the Gohonzon, the more our own lives increase in majesty and power, and shine with brilliance.

With faith in the Gohonzon as the foundation, we pray, take action and speak out for the happiness of others. The maintenance of this correct rhythm directs our entire being toward longevity, health and happiness.

To explain this rhythm of faith manifesting itself in daily life in a readily accessible fashion, I once proposed the following four mottoes for leading a healthy life: (1) do a vigorous gongyo, (2) lead a daily life free of unreasonable strain and senseless exertion, (3) take dedicated action, and (4) eat intelligently.

It might also be said that faith in the Mystic Law is itself the foremost catalyst of health and longevity.

Faith of Valiant Action Produces Great Joy

Let us now interpret this passage of the Lotus Sutra from the standpoint of the Daishonin's Buddhism. First "if there are living beings who come to me" implicitly refers to our sitting upright before the Gohonzon.

In the Latter Day of the Law, the Buddha's act of employing the Buddha eye to observe people's capacity and preaching the Law to them in accordance with their circumstances indicates the compassionate conduct of Nichiren Daishonin in leading all people to enlightenment.

President Toda explained this passage as meaning that the Gohonzon perceives our faith and bestows upon us great compassion.

From our standpoint, "if their... faculties are keen or dull" could be said to indicate the strength or weakness of our faith. The deeper our faith becomes, the more we can manifest the immeasurable benefit of the Gohonzon.

In a lecture, President Toda said:

Before the Daishonin entered nirvana, he left behind the Gohonzon for us, the people of the Latter Day. While he was alive, he was respectfully called Nichiren Daishonin; and after his passing, he is reverently called the Dai-Gohonzon bestowed upon all humankind. This is the meaning of "preach to them under different names ' and "describe the length of time during which my teachings will be effective." This Gohonzon is the true entity of the Buddha.

Needless to say, the Daishonin's Buddhism is the great teaching for the limitless span of the Latter Day of the Law. It is the source of light illuminating all humankind throughout the eternal future. The "length of time" during which it will be effective is infinite.

The passage, "I also employ different expedient means to preach the subtle and wonderful Law, thus causing living beings to awaken joyful minds," indicates none other than expounding the Law of Myoho-renge-kyo and causing people to experience great joy through the power of the Gohonzon. Those who earnestly embrace the Mystic Law will certainly not become miserable. This is true absolutely beyond any doubt.

President Toda went so far as to say that unless great joy wells forth in one's life when praying to the Gohonzon, then one's faith is not correct. When you experience such joy, a great flower of benefit blossoms in your life.

But he qualified this, saying:
However, you won' t experience true joy if you spend all of your time just forcing yourself to rejoice. If during gongyo your legs get numb and you find yourself thinking, 'Aren't we going to finish yet? Oh, I forgot! I have to rejoice,' then you're not experiencing true joy.

Faith is to take spirited action. When you earnestly struggle, your heart becomes light and filled with momentum. Pessimism is alien to Buddhism.

Taking action on the side of justice brings joy. Let us cheerfully, joyfully and brightly advance along the path of our convictions.

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