The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law

The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law
Chapter 11
Beholding the Precious Stupa
(2)

This is the eighty-seventh installment of a detailed commentary on the Threefold Lotus Sutra by the late founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, Rev. Nikkyo Niwano.

TEXT Then those buddhas, each bringing a great bodhisattva as his attendant, arrived at the saha world, and each went to the foot of a jewel tree. Each of the jewel trees was five hundred yojanas high, adorned in turn with boughs, leaves, blossoms, and fruit; under all those jewel trees there were lion thrones five yojanas high, also decorated with magnificent jewels. Then each of those buddhas sat cross-legged on those thrones. Thus all around him the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world was filled [with buddhas],

COMMENTARY Sat cross-legged. This is the full lotus position, which is the correct position for Zen meditation: The right foot is placed on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh.

TEXT though as yet, from but one point of the compass, the bodies which had emanated from Shakyamuni Buddha had not finished [arriving].

COMMENTARY This passage is extremely difficult to understand. Its meaning is easier to grasp if we consult the Sanskrit original, which states, "though as yet the emanated bodies of the World-honored One, though one, had not arrived from the ten directions." This image signifies that Thusness (fundamental truth) transcends time and space. The assembled buddhas who fill the world are those who appeared before the time of Shakyamuni or whose realms exist beyond the saha world. It suggests that though none of the emanated bodies of Shakyamuni Buddha in the present world have yet assembled, the earth is already replete with the Absolute Truth (Thusness).

TEXT Then Shakyamuni Buddha, desiring to make room for the buddhas who had emanated from himself, in each of the eight directions of space transformed two hundred myriad kotis of nayutas of domains, all of them pure,

COMMENTARY In modern terms, not only has the earth been transformed into the Land of Tranquil Light and filled with buddhas, but also this transformation has extended to other planets, to the whole galaxy. It is a drama on a vast scale.

TEXT without hells, hungry spirits, animals, and asuras, and moreover removed their gods and men to other lands. The domains thus transformed also had lapis lazuli for earth and were ornate with jewel trees five hundred yojanas high, adorned in turn with boughs, leaves, blossoms, and fruit; under every tree was a jeweled lion throne five yojanas high, decorated with all kinds of gems;

COMMENTARY Without hells, hungry spirits, animals, and asuras. These domains contain none of the evil paths of rebirth (the realms of hell, hungry spirits, animals, and asuras). This means that there is no one who has such delusions as anger, greed, ignorance, and contentiousness.
･ And moreover removed their gods and men to other lands. The meaning has been explained above. "Gods" here means people in the realm of gods, and "men," people in the human realm. We should remember that the realm of gods is not the eternal Land of Tranquil Light but a world where people live, still unenlightened and liable to fall into the evil paths. The realm of human beings refers to the condition of maintaining mental equilibrium, in which though still potentially in thrall to the four evil paths the conscience controls them. It is impossible for us to go forward to meet the Buddha's emanated bodies unless we purify the mind. In other words, if we want to hear the Buddha's teaching we must of course not have fallen into one of the four delusions (the four evil paths) or even be in the ambiguous states of gods and men, still liable to fall into those delusions; rather, we must go forward to greet the Buddha's teaching (Thusness) with the serene state of mind of nonself. This is why the sutra says that those in the in-between states of gods and men are removed to other lands. Strictly speaking, they remove themselves.

TEXT and there were no great seas or great rivers, nor any Mount Mucilinda, Mount Maha-Mucilinda, Mount Iron Circle, Mount Great Iron Circle, Mount Sumeru, and so on, all these kings of mountains which always form one buddha land; their jeweled ground was even and smooth; everywhere jewel-decked awnings were spread and streamers and canopies hung, while most precious incense was burning, and precious celestial flowers everywhere covered the ground.

COMMENTARY Mount Mucilinda, Mount Maha-Mucilinda, Mount Iron Circle, Mount Great Iron Circle, Mount Sumeru. These mountains belong to the cosmology of the ancient Indians; since they have nothing to do with the essence of Buddhism, I will refrain from further comment about them. It is enough to know that they are all lofty peaks. The fact that the innumerable transformed domains have no such mountains, seas, and rivers but are "even and smooth" indicates that there is nowhere that does not receive the Buddha's light (wisdom), that as far as the eye can see all has become radiant. The deeper meaning is, as already mentioned, that our minds have become completely nonself, enabling us to receive fully the Buddha's light, or wisdom.

TEXT Shakyamuni Buddha, in order that the buddhas who were coming might be seated, in each of the eight directions transformed two hundred myriad kotis of nayutas of domains, making them all pure, without hells, hungry spirits, animals, and asuras, and removing [their] gods and men to other lands.

COMMENTARY The buddha land (the Land of Tranquil Light) spreads wider and wider. In modern terms, the land extends to the entire galaxy, encompassing the universe.

TEXT The domains thus transformed also had lapis lazuli for earth and were ornate with jewel trees five hundred yojanas high, adorned in turn with boughs, leaves, blossoms, and fruit; under every tree was a jeweled lion throne five yojanas high, decorated with great jewels; and there were no great seas or great rivers, nor any Mount Mucilinda, Mount Maha-Mucilinda, Mount Iron Circle, Mount Great Iron Circle, Mount Sumeru, and so on, these kings of mountains which always form one buddha land; their jeweled ground was even and smooth; everywhere jewel-decked awnings were spread, and streamers and canopies hung, while most precious incense was burning, and precious celestial flowers everywhere covered the ground.

At that moment the bodies that had emanated eastward from Shakyamuni, [namely] the buddhas who were each preaching the Law in a hundred thousand myriad kotis of nayutas of [eastern] domains [numerous] as the sands of the Ganges, arrived and assembled. In like manner in turn the buddhas from all the ten directions all arrived and assembled and took their seats in the eight directions. Thereupon each direction was filled with buddha-tathagatas in [its] four hundred myriad kotis of nayutas of domains. Then all the buddhas, each under a jewel tree, seated on a lion throne, sent their attendants to make inquiries of Shakyamuni Buddha, each sending a double handful of jewel flowers, and saying to them: "Good sons! Do you go and visit Mount Gridhrakuta, the abode of Shakyamuni Buddha, and, according to our words, say: 'Art thou free from disease and distress? Art thou at ease in thy powers? And are all the groups of thy bodhisattvas and shravakas at peace?' Strew the Buddha in homage with these jewel flowers and say thus: 'Such and such a buddha joins in wishing that this Precious Stupa be opened.'" All the buddhas sent their messengers in like manner.

COMMENTARY A double handful of jewel flowers. Even today in India and Southeast Asia people offer flowers (the flowers alone, without leaves or stems) in the same way when they visit temples. They may also make offerings of flowers in dishes. They place the flowers before the image of the Buddha or strew them over the image.
･ Free from disease and distress. The Chinese translation here says literally "little disease and distress," but the meaning is the same as "no disease or distress."

TEXT Then Shakyamuni Buddha, beholding the buddhas who had emanated from him assembled together, each seated on his lion throne, and hearing that those buddhas unitedly desired the Precious Stupa to be opened, straightway rose up from his throne and abode in the sky. All the four groups stood up, folded their hands, and with all their mind gazed at the Buddha.

COMMENTARY Since the Precious Stupa has risen into the sky, it is of course necessary for Shakyamuni too to rise into the sky in order to open its door. Here "sky" has an important meaning. The stupa has sprung up from the earth, but it has not remained on the surface but has risen into the sky. This signifies that the buddha-nature seems to ordinary people only an abstract ideal. Even though it is taught that the essential nature of human beings is the buddha-nature, which must be realized and developed, this does not seem real to ordinary people, who are enveloped in the delusions of the five desires. Thus they consider the buddha-nature a lofty ideal far removed from actuality. The fact that the Precious Stupa rises into the sky vividly expresses the mental state of ordinary people. It is then that Shakyamuni rises to the height of the Precious Stupa and then comes to a halt. By doing so he demonstrates that even a human being can reach the ideal realm. The multitude, however, sees this as a manifestation of the supernatural powers of a sage. Thus they do no more than look up at him with admiration and reverence ("All the four groups stood up, folded their hands, and with all their mind gazed at the Buddha").

TEXT Thereupon Shakyamuni Buddha with the fingers of his right hand opened the door of the Stupa of the Precious Seven, when there went forth a great sound, like the withdrawing of the bolt on opening a great city gate.

COMMENTARY The fingers of his right hand. The right hand has been considered the holy hand since ancient times in India. In Buddhism, the right symbolizes wisdom, and the left, the principle, or noumenon as opposed to phenomenon. The principle is the universal truth and the right path that human beings must follow. Unless they realize the principle, they cannot make it work in human life. That is, they cannot give life to the principle. Thus, what is considered most important to human beings is the wisdom to realize the principle.

In Buddhism, compassion is placed between the left, principle, and the right, wisdom. Compassion is the pure emotion that manifests itself when the buddha-nature flows forth of its own accord. It wells forth with the practice of benefiting others. Without this practice, even if human beings have realized the principle through wisdom they remain unperfected as individuals, and humankind as a whole remains unliberated. This is why compassion is considered central to the teaching. It is only when the principle, wisdom, and compassion are closely connected and made to circulate and work in the world that human beings can become perfected, humankind as a whole can be liberated, and humanity can establish the Land of Tranquil Light in this life. The teaching of Buddhism, and the Lotus Sutra in particular, being based firmly on this elaborate structure, will never lose its value as long as humankind continues to exist, however much the times change.

TEXT Thereupon all the congregation saw the Tathagata Abundant Treasures sitting on the lion throne in the Precious Stupa, with his undissipated body whole and as if he were in meditation. And they heard him saying: "Excellent! Excellent! Shakyamuni Buddha! Happily have you preached this Law Flower Sutra. I have come hither in order to hear this sutra."

COMMENTARY Saw . . . his undissipated body whole and as if he were in meditation. As we saw above, "his undissipated body whole" means being perfectly endowed with the complete aspect of Thusness, which is now seen not partially but in its entirety. The Tathagata keeps utterly still, like a person meditating. This suggests that Thusness does not alter with time or place but is unmoving and everlasting.

From one point of view, though, unmoving Thusness would have no power to change our human lives. It is when there are people who preach Thusness, the Absolute Truth, so that it begins to act in the minds of people, that it brings relief to the human world. Therefore the Tathagata Abundant Treasures, Thusness itself, puts Thusness into motion. In other words, he praises the Tathagata Shakyamuni, who preaches Thusness, saying that he has come to hear Shakyamuni's discourse on Thusness. Here a great truth is revealed: Thusness itself desires to be preached and understood by all and put to practical use. This is of great significance.

Imagine that you have a talent for painting. If you have a true talent, it will inevitably express itself in works of art. Similarly, if you are a poet, your talent will show itself in the poetry you write. Or if you have innate kindness, it will manifest itself in kind and thoughtful action. What is true must express itself. If there is no such compulsion, it is not real. Truth, goodness, and beauty likewise first give birth to something of value when they are manifested. In the same way, the Tathagata Abundant Treasures, who symbolizes the perfect aspect of Thusness, announces this in a great voice: "However much you may worship my form that remains unmoving, like one meditating, it has no worth. The one great thing is to hear the discourses of the Tathagata Shakyamuni, who has set me in motion as the true life." Unless we understand this, we will not actually have read this chapter, however many times our eyes have passed over it.

TEXT Then the four groups, seeing the buddha who had passed away and been extinct for immeasurable thousand myriad kotis of kalpas speak such words as these, praised this unprecedented [marvel] and strewed on the Buddha Abundant Treasures and on Shakyamuni Buddha heaps of celestial jewel flowers.

COMMENTARY I have already explained the significance of the threefold body of the Buddha (the Law-body, the reward-body, and the manifest-body), but let me go over it again, since it is crucial to the understanding of this passage. The Law-body (dharma-kaya) is eternal, immortal Thusness itself, the Buddha as the great life of the universe. The manifest-body (nirmana-kaya) is the Buddha who appeared in the world as a human being to instruct and save all living beings, based on Thusness. Shakyamuni, born in India, is the Buddha of the manifest-body. The reward-body (sambhoga-kaya) is neither the Law-body that is Thusness (Law) itself nor the manifest-body that has an actual physical body, but the Buddha as the personified Law-body with attributes that we can imagine. In other words, the reward-body is the power that begins to work when Thusness takes on personified energy. The Buddha of the reward-body is so called in the sense that buddhahood has been attained through the merit of having realized Thusness.

To put it more simply, the Law-body is Thusness itself, the reward-body is the personified power giving form to Thusness, and the manifest-body is the Buddha as a human being, who manifests that power in this world. Thus the Law-body, the reward-body, and the manifest-body are inseparable. Shakyamuni has the threefold body as the Eternal Original Buddha of the Law-body, the Buddha of the reward-body, and the Buddha of the manifest-body.

Through the discourses given thus far, the assembled ordained and lay believers have received many hints that the Buddha is of threefold body, but they have had the idea that the only buddha is the Buddha they can see, the manifest-body. Thus they are astounded when the Tathagata Abundant Treasures, who has been extinct for immeasurable eons, suddenly appears.

TEXT Thereupon the Buddha Abundant Treasures within the Precious Stupa shared half his throne with Shakyamuni Buddha, speaking thus: "Shakyamuni Buddha! Take this seat!" Whereon Shakyamuni Buddha entered the stupa and, sitting down on that half throne, folded his legs.

COMMENTARY This is one of the most impressive scenes of the Lotus Sutra. This marvelous scene of the Tathagata Abundant Treasures inviting the Tathagata Shakyamuni to share half his throne and the Tathagata Shakyamuni instantly sitting there is called "the two Buddhas sharing the same throne." This act has two meanings. First, it breaks down many people's mistaken idea that the Tathagata Shakyamuni is just a buddha with a mortal body and shows them that he is as imperishable as the Tathagata Abundant Treasures, appearing and disappearing but not subject to arising and extinction. Second, the Law-body (Abundant Treasures) and the manifest-body (Shakyamuni) are shown to be equal, with no difference in terms of superiority. Thusness and the preacher of Thusness are therefore to be equally respected and venerated.

We undoubtedly possess the buddha-nature. Indeed, the essential nature of a human being is the buddha-nature. But we are thickly enveloped by the grime of the five desires and delusion. If we do nothing, we will be eternally enmeshed in struggle and conflict. Herein lies the importance of the person who teaches about the buddha-nature. Because there is someone who teaches about the buddha-nature, we can realize it in ourselves and begin efforts to develop it. At this point the door to true liberation opens.

Thusness has value when it is known. The more people who know of it, the greater its value. This is the principle of value creation. One who has known Thusness must surely transmit it to others. The wish to monopolize this knowledge reveals what is called "the inclination toward the two vehicles" (shravakas and pratyekabuddhas), the meanest selfishness. Such a person is not worthy to sit within the Precious Stupa.

These are the points that we must understand from the holy and impressive scene of "the two Buddhas sharing the same throne."

To be continued

In this series, passages in the TEXT sections are quoted from The Threefold Lotus Sutra, Tokyo: Kosei Publishing Company, 1975, with slight revisions. The diacritical marks originally used for several Sanskrit terms in the TEXT sections are omitted here for easier reading.

This article was originally published in the July-September 2006 issue of Dharma World.


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