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T2689 Kaimokushō or Liberation from Blindness

Thông tin: BDK America — English Tripiṭaka

KAIMOKUSHO OR

Title Page

BDK English Tripitaka 104-IV KAIMOKUSHO OR

LIBERATION FROM BLINDNESS by

Nichiren

Translated from the Japanese (Taisho Volume 84, Number 2689) by

Murano Senchu Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research 2000

Copyright

Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed in any form or by any means —electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— without the prior written permission of the publisher. First Printing, 2000

ISBN: 1-886439-12-5

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 99-74476 Published by

Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research 2620 Warring Street

Berkeley, California 94704

Printed in the United States of America

A Message on the Publication of the

English Tripitaka

The Buddhist canon is said to contain eighty-four thousand different teachings. I believe that this is because the Buddha's basic approach was to prescribe a different treatment for every spiritual ailment, much as a doctor prescribes a different medicine for every medical ailment. Thus his teachings were always appropriate for the particular suffering individual and for the time at which the teaching was given, and over the ages not one of is prescriptions has failed to relieve the suffering to which it was addressed. Ever since the Buddha's Great Demise over twenty-five hundred years ago, his message of isdom and compassion has spread throughout the world. Yet no one has ever attempted to translate the entire Buddhist canon into English throughout the history of Japan. It is my greatest wish to see this done and to make the translations available to the many English-speaking people who have never had the opportunity to learn about the Buddha's teachings. Of course, it would be impossible to translate all of the Buddha's eighty-four thousand teachings in a few years. I have, therefore, had one hundred thirty-nine of the scriptural texts in the prodigious Taisho edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon selected for inclusion in the First Series of this translation project. It is in the nature of this undertaking that the results are bound to be criticized. Nonetheless, I am convinced that unless someone takes it upon himself or herself to initiate this project, it will never be done. At the same time, I hope that an improved, revised edition will appear in the future.

It is most gratifying that, thanks to the efforts of more than a hundred Buddhist scholars from the East and the West, this monumental project has finally gotten off the ground. May the rays of the Wisdom of the Compassionate One reach each and every person in the world.

Numata Yehan

Founder of the English

August 7, 1991 Tripitaka Project

Editorial Foreword

In January 1982, Dr. Numata Yehan, the founder of the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism), decided to begin the monumental task of translating the complete Taisho edition of the Chinese Tripitaka (Buddhist canon) into the English language. Under his leadership, a special preparatory committee was organized in April 1982. By July of the same year, the Translation Committee of the English Tripitaka was officially convened. The initial Committee consisted of he following members: (late) Hanayama Shoyu (Chairperson); Bando Shojun; Ishigami Zenno; Kamata Shigeo; Kanaoka Shuyu; Mayeda Sengaku; Nara Yasuaki; Sayeki Shinko; (late) Shioiri Ryotatsu; Tamaru Noriyoshi; (late) Tamura Kwansei; Uryuzu Ryushin; and Yuyama Akira. Assistant members of the Committee were as follows: Kanazawa Atsushi; Watanabe Shogo; Rolf Giebel of New Zealand; and Rudy Smet of Belgium.

After holding planning meetings on a monthly basis, the Committee selected one hundred thirty-nine texts for the First Series of translations, an estimated one hundred printed volumes in all. The texts selected are not necessarily limited to those originally written in India but also include works written or composed in China and Japan. While the publication of the First Series proceeds, the texts for the Second Series will be selected from among the remaining works; this process will continue until all the texts, in Japanese as well as in Chinese, have been published.

Frankly speaking, it will take perhaps one hundred years or more to accomplish the English translation of the complete Chinese and Japanese texts, for they consist of housands of orks. Nevertheless, as Dr. Numata wished, it is the sincere hope of the Committee that this project will continue unto completion, even after all its present members have passed away.

It must be mentioned here that the final object of this project is not academic fulfillment but the transmission of the teaching of the vii

Publisher’s Foreword

Editorial Foreword

Buddha to the whole world in order to create harmony and peace among humankind. To that end, the translators have been asked to minimize the use of explanatory notes of he kind that are indispensable in academic texts, so that the attention of general readers will not be unduly distracted from the primary text. Also, a glossary of selected terms is appended to aid in understanding the text. To my great regret, however, Dr. Numata passed away on May 5, 1994, at the age of ninety-seven, entrusting his son, Mr. Numata Toshihide, with the continuation and completion of the Translation Project. The Committee also lost its able and devoted Chairperson, Professor Hanayama Shoyu, on June 16, 1995, at the age of sixtythree. After these severe blows, the Committee elected me, Vice President of usashino Women's College, to be the Chair in October 1995. The Committee has renewed its determination to carry out the noble intention of Dr. Numata, under the leadership of Mr. Numata Toshihide.

The present members of the Committee are Mayeda Sengaku (Chairperson); Bando Shojun; Ishigami Zenno; Ichishima Shoshin; Kamata Shigeo; Kanaoka Shuyu; Nara Yasuaki; Sayeki Shinko; Tamaru Noriyoshi; Uryuzu Ryushin; and Yuyama Akira. Assistant members are Watanabe Shogo and Ueda Noboru.

The Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research was established in November 1984, in Berkeley, California, U.S.A., to assist in the publication of the BDK English Tripitaka First Series. In December 1991, the Publication Committee was organized at the Numata Center, with Professor Philip Yampolsky as the Chairperson. To our sorrow, Professor Yampolsky passed away in July 1996, but thankfully Dr. Kenneth Inada is continuing the work as Chairperson. This text is the twentieth volume to be published and distributed by the Numata Center. All of the remaining texts will be published under the supervision of this Committee, in close cooperation with the Translation Committee in Tokyo.

June 28, 1999 Mayeda Sengaku

Chairperson

Translation Committee of

the BDK English Tripitaka

viii

Publisher's Foreword

The Publication Committee works in close cooperation with the Editorial Committee of the BDK English Tripitaka in Tokyo, Japan. Since December 1991, it has operated from the Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research in Berkeley, California. Its principal mission is to oversee and facilitate the publication in English of selected texts from the one hundred-volume Taisho Edition of he Chinese Tripitaka, along with a few major influential Japanese Buddhist texts not in the Tripitaka. The list of selected texts is conveniently appended at the end of each volume. In the text itself, the Taisho Edition page and column designations are provided in the margins.

The Committee is committed to the task of ublishing clear, readable English texts. It honors the deep faith, spirit, and concern of he late Reverend Doctor Numata Yehan to disseminate Buddhist teachings throughout the world.

In July 1996, the Committee unfortunately lost its valued Chairperson, Dr. Philip Yampolsky, who was a stalwart leader, trusted friend, and esteemed colleague. We follow in his shadow. In February 1997,1 was appointed to guide the Committee in his place. The Committee is charged with the normal duties of a publishing firm general editing, formatting, copyediting, proofreading, indexing, and checking linguistic fidelity. The Committee members are Diane Ames, Eisho Nasu, Koh Nishiike, and the president and director of the Numata Center, Reverend Kiyoshi S. Yamashita. Kenneth K. Inada

Chairperson

June 28, 1999 Publication Committee

A Message on the Publication of the English Tripitaka Numata Yehan v

Editorial Foreword Mayeda Sengaku vii Publisher's Foreword Kenneth K. Inada ix Translator's Introduction Murano Senchu 1 Notes on Transliteration 3 Chapter I

The Saddharmapundarika-sutra 7 Chapter II

Am I Not the Practitioner of the Saddharmapundarika-sutra? 41 Chapter III

The Five Testimonies to the Truthfulness of My Faith 79 Chapter IV

The Age of Degeneration 95 Chapter V

Die a Martyr for the Cause of Saddharmapundarika-sutra). Ill Glossary 127

Bibliography 131

Index 133

A List of the Volumes of the BDK English Tripitaka (First Series) xi

Translator’s Introduction

Translator's Introduction

The Kaimokusho was written by Nichiren (1222-1282) in 1272. Kaimoku literally means "to open the eyes." Here the title is rendered as Liberation from Blindness, in order to avoid a different connotation, "to stare with astonishment. "

Nichiren was arrested by the Kamakura government on the twelfth day of the ninth month of 1271 and was sentenced to exile on Sado Island. When Nichiren's troop escort arrived at Tatsunokuchi execution ground that night, the war minister Nagasaki Yoritsuna, who was preparing to issue a mobilization order the following day to repulse the Mongolian invasion, attempted to behead Nichiren, whom the nervous minister regarded as the most powerful religious dissident defying government policy for the control of he nation. His illegal action was, however, suspended by the Regent, and Nichiren was sent to Sado as had been officially ordered. Nichiren arrived at the island at the beginning of the eleventh month of the year, was detained at Tsukahara for six months, and then was moved to Ichinosawa, where he stayed until he was released in March 1274.

After he was arrested in 1271, many of his followers left him. The followers of ther Buddhist sects rejoiced at the government's disposal of the head of the Daimoku faith and, further, wished to see him annihilated. The people of Sado Island were no exception. Possible assassins were loitering about his house of detention day and night. Nichiren realized that he could be killed at any time. Yet he was not frightened but glad to see this because he thought that if he dedicated himself to the Lotus Sutra (the Saddharmapundarika-siitra), he would be able to expiate the sins that he had committed in his previous existences and have great happiness in his next life. He was ready to die a martyr for the cause of the Lotus Sutra.

Notes on Transliteration

Translator's Introduction

However, what was more important to him than this determination he held for himself was how to persuade his followers to follow his example. To pray to the gods was useless, he thought. He wrote in Chapter V, "If he gods could protect the keeper of he right teachings of the Buddha, why were Maudgalyayana and Simha killed?" (The Kaimokusho was not originally divided into chapters or sections; the division of the text into five chapters has been arbitrarily done by the translator.)

The only way to have his followers keep their faith in the Lotus Sutra and die as martyrs for its cause was to tell them that the wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra was the only way to Buddhahood. In order to explain this to them, he began by criticizing religions other than Buddhism, and then Buddhist sutras other than the Lotus Sutra. This is translated as Chapter I. But Nichiren suddenly changed the subject and concentrated on the direct and vital question: "Am I not the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra?" This is presented as Chapter II. To practice a sutra means to act according to the teachings expounded in it. He spent more pages on this chapter than on any other. In order to answer this question, he quoted the five testimonies to the truthfulness of his faith in the Lotus Sutra given in Chapter III. In Chapter IV, Nichiren followed Miao-le and established the three kinds of arrogant people, following Chapter XIII of the Lotus Sutra. According to the wording of the Mahaparinirvanasutra, he identified those three kinds of arrogant people with the three kinds of enemies of the Lotus Sutra.

Nichiren wrote the Kaimokusho in his exile at Tsukahara in the second month of 1272. He had very few reference books and a poor supply of paper, pens, and ink. He was motivated to write to his few remaining followers as soon as possible in order to transmit this thought and faith to them before he might be killed. This sense of urgency resulted in making the Kaimokusho the longest work ever written by Nichiren.

The Kaimokusho was addressed to Shijo Kingo, who was the representative of the followers of Nichiren in the Kamakura District. 2

Notes on Transliteration

1. The Chinese pronunciation is given to Chinese proper names, except the titles of some books (see Note 2). The Japanese pronunciation corresponding to the Chinese is given in parentheses only when the Chinese proper name is used for the first time in this translation.

2. The Japanese pronunciation is given to:

a. The titles of the sutras and sastras whose Sanskrit originals are not known. The Chinese pronunciation corresponding to the Japanese is given in parentheses only when the title appears for the first time in this translation. b. The titles of Chinese Buddhist books. The Chinese corresponding to the Japanese is given in parentheses only when the title appears for the first time in this translation. 3. Sanko, Gotei, sangen, and gojo are rendered as the three Huang emperors (Ko emperors), the five Ti emperors (Tei emperors), the three truths (hsiian, gen), and the five virtues (ch'ang, jo), respectively. Tenson (Heavenly Venerables), Genki (Original Ether), jingi (humanity and justice), and reigaku (rituals and music) are translated into English; the Chinese is given first, the Japanese second in parentheses.

4. Ko (filial piety) and chu (loyalty to one's lord) are given in Japanese with the Chinese in parentheses to clarify the meaning of the respective sentences. Kokyo (Book of ilial Piety) is translated into English; the Japanese is given first, the Chinese second in parentheses.

5. Hokekyo is always expressed in Sanskrit: Saddharmapundarika-sutra. When the three different Chinese texts of the sutra are referred to, the Sanskrit title is replaced by: Myohorengekyo (Miao-fa-lien-hua-ching); Shohoke-kyo (Cheng-fa-hua-ching); or Tembon-myohorenge-kyo (Tien-p'in-miao-fa-lien-hua-ching). 3

Notes on Transliteration

6. The names of the following sects are explained in parentheses only when they appear for the first time in this translation: Hosso (Dharmalaksana) Sect, Jojitsu (Satyasiddhi) Sect, Kegon (Avatamsaka) Sect, Kusha (Kosa) Sect, Ritsu (Vinaya) Sect, Sanron (Three Sastras) Sect, Tendai (T'ien-t'ai) Sect, Tendai Hokke (T'ient'ai Saddharmapundarlka) Sect, Yuishiki (Vijnaptimatra) Sect. 7. The Sanskrit originals of some proper names in sutras and sastras are not known to us. Those proper names are translated into English. The quotations from the Saddharmapundarlkasutra are taken from Senchu Murano's English translation of the Lotus Sutra, where the proper names whose Sanskrit originals are known are also translated into English. This is according to the policy of the translation committee that proper names translated into Chinese should be translated into English. As the result, quotations from the Lotus Sutra sometimes include proper names whose Sanskrit originals are translated into English. 8. Bracketed words or phrases indicate insertions by the translator that are not part of the original text.

9. The number in the outside margin indicates the corresponding page number of the Taisho Tripitaka.

kaim okusho OR

liberation from blindness by

Nichiren

Chapter I

The Saddharmapundarika-sutra

Confucianism

All the people of the world should respect three kinds of persons: lords, teachers, and parents. They should study three [religions]: Confucianism, Brahmanism, and Buddhism.

According to Confucianism, [in ancient China] there lived the emperors and kings called the three Huang emperors (Ko emperors), the five Ti emperors (Tei emperors), and the three kings. They were revered as T'ien-tsun (Tenson) or Heavenly Venerables. They were rulers of their subjects, and bridges to provide people with roadways. The people who lived before the time of he three Huang emperors were like birds and beasts because they did not know their fathers. The people who lived in the time of the five Ti emperors and after that knew their fathers. They served their parents respectfully. Ch'ung-hua (Choka) paid respect to his father, who was notorious for his bigotry. P'ei-kung (Haido) genuflected before his father even after he became the [first] emperor [of the Han (Kan) dynasty]. King Wu-wang (Bu-o) [of the Chou (Shu) dynasty] made a wooden image of his [deceased] father, Shi-po (Seihaku), for worship. Ting-lan (Teiran) carved a wooden statue of his [deceased] mother also for worship. All these people were paragons of filial piety.

Pi-kan (Hikan) was beheaded by his lord, King Chou [Chou-wang (Chu-o)] of the Yin (In) dynasty, when he remonstrated with the monarch for fear that the country would be destroyed [because of 208c

208bl7

the king's tyranny]. Kung-yin (Ko-in), [who failed to save his lord] I-kung (Iko), killed himself by cutting open his abdomen, pulling out the liver from his lord's body, and thrusting it into his own body. All these people were paragons of loyalty to their lord. Yin-shou (Inju) was the teacher of King Yao-wang (Gyo-o); Wu-ch'eng (Musei), that of King Shun-wang (Shun-o); T'ai-kungwang (Taikobo), that of King Wen-wang (Bun-o); and Lao-tzu (Roshi), that of Confucius. These teachers were called the Four Saints. The Heavenly Venerables bowed to them. People joined their hands together before them.

These saints wrote many books compiled into more than three thousand volumes altogether, including the Three Fen {Fun), the Five Tien {Ten), and the Three Shih {Shi). Their teachings can be summarized, however, into only three hsiian {gen), or truths. The first truth is that everything exists. This truth was established by Chou-kung (Shuko) and others. The second truth is that nothing exists. This was held by Lao-tzu and others. The third truth is that everything exists while nothing exists. This was taught by Chuang-tzu (Soshi).

Confucians say that hsuan means black. Some of them say that our previous existence comes from Yuan-ch'i (Genki) or the Original Ether. Some hold that the difference between noble and humble, sorrow and joy, right and wrong, gain and loss, and so on, are just natural happenings not due to any human artificiality. Their statements are thoughtful, but it seems that they know nothing about their previous or future lives. They say that hsuan is black and dark, and that, therefore, it is called hsiian. It appears that they know only their present lives.

[The Four Saints] established the virtues of humanity {jen, jin) and justice {i, gi). According to them, when we practice these virtues in our present lives, we shall be protected and the peace of our country will be maintained, and if we do not observe them our clans and families will be ruined. They may be called saints as far as their teachings for our present lives are concerned, but they cannot be called saints when we see that they know nothing about 8

Chapter I

our previous or future lives. They are not different from ordinary men who cannot look at their backs or blind men who cannot see even their fronts.

Confucians say that the person who governs his household well, serves his parents devotedly, and practices the five virtues [including humanity and justice] in his present life will be respected by his fellow workers, praised by the people of his country, appointed as a vassal by a clever king, elected to be the teacher of the king, or enthroned under the protection of the gods. They say that the fact that King Wu-wang of the Chou dynasty was served by the Five Elders, and the fact that the Emperor Kuangwu-ti (Kobutei) of the Later Han dynasty was protected by the twenty-eight generals, who were reincarnations of the twentyeight constellations, are good examples showing the results of racticing the five virtues.

But they are not true saints because they do not know the past and future. They cannot save the future lives of their parents, lords, and teachers. Therefore, we can say that they do not know the favors given to them by their seniors. Confucius knew this and said, "There is no saint in this country. There lives a person called Buddha in the west. He is a saint. He regarded Confucianism as a preliminary to Buddhism. In order to have people understand more easily the meaning of the [three] Buddhist disciplines—precepts, meditation, and wisdom— Confucius taught them rituals (li, rei), music (yiieh, gaku), and so on. By his teaching, the subjects of a king were able to understand who were noble and who were not; children were able to know that their filial piety was virtuous; and pupils were able to realize that their teachers were dependable.

Miao-le Ta-shih (Myoraku Daishi) says:

Buddhism has been propagated in this country [without much difficulty] because Confucianism had already been taught here. Rituals and music were taught first. Then came the True Way.

209a

T'ien-t'ai (Tendai) says:

It says in the Suvarnaprabhasa-sutra, "All good teachings of the secular world come from this sutra. Those who know the teachings of the secular world well should be considered to have already understood the teachings of the Buddha." According to the Makashikan (Mo-ho-chih-kuan), [the Buddha says,] "I will dispatch three saints to China in order to teach the people there." It says in the Shikan-guketsu (Chih-kuan-hungchiieh): It says in the Shdjd-hogyo-kyo (Ch'ing-ching-fa-hsing-ching), "Moonlight Bodhisattva was called Yen-hui (Gankai) in that country; Light-Pure Bodhisattva, Chung-ni (Chuji); and Kasyapa Bodhisattva, Lao-tzu." People of India call this country of China "that country."

Brahmanism

The second [religion to be studied is Brahmanism]. According to the Brahmanism of India, the two gods Mahesvara and Visnu are regarded as the compassionate parents, gods, and lords of all living beings. Mahesvara has three eyes and eight arms. The three persons Kapila, Uluka, and Rsabha are called the Three Seers. They lived about eight centuries before the time of the Buddha. They expounded the Four Vedas composed in sixty thousand storehouses.

At the time of the Buddha, there were six schools in Brahmanism. They studied the Four Vedas and became the teachers of the kings of the five districts of India.

After the time of the Buddha, the six schools were divided into ninety-five or ninety-six schools. Every one of these schools was so arrogant as to think that the banner of that school was higher than the highest heaven. Each school stuck to its own view more persistently than gold or a stone keeps its hardness. But their views were incomparably more profound and meaningful than 10

Chapter I

those of Confucianism. They could see not only the immediate previous lives of living beings, but also two, three, or up to seven consecutive of their previous lives, or their previous lives tracing back to eighty thousand kalpas before. They also could see their future lives for eighty thousand kalpas to come. Their views could be summarized into three headings: (1) effect exists in cause, (2) effect does not exist in cause, and (3) effect exists and does not exist in cause. These three views were the ultimate teachings of Brahmanism.

The so-called good brahmans observe the five precepts and the ten good precepts, practice meditation still connected with illusions, and proceed as slowly as a measuring worm toward the highest heaven, where they think they can find the place of nirvana. But they must fall from there down to the three evil regions. None of them can stay in the highest heaven although they think that, when they reach there, they can stay there forever. They cling to the teachings of their teachers. Some of them bathe in the Ganges River three times a day in cold winter. Some pull out their hair. Some jump off a rock. Some set their bodies on fire. Some set their heads and limbs on fire. Some live naked. Some sacrifice many horses to gain bliss. Some set fire to grasses and trees. Some pay homage to all trees. They do innumerable other wrong deeds like these.

They worship their teachers as respectfully as the gods worship Sakra or as vassals bow to their emperor. But none of these brahmans, good or evil, of the ninety-five schools can get rid of birth and death. Those who serve good teachers may stay in the highest heaven for two or three lives, but eventually they must fall into the evil regions. Those who serve evil teachers will fall into the evil regions in their next lives. Brahmans should be converted to Buddhism. This is the most important thing for them. A brahman said, "The Buddha will appear in this world a thousand years from now." Another brahman said, "The Buddha will appear in this world a hundred years from now." It says in the Mahaparinirvana-sutra, "All the Brahmanical texts in the world 11

209b

were expounded by the Buddha, not by brahmans. " It says in the Saddharmapundarika-sutra, "In the presence of the people, they [my disciples] pretend to have the three poisons and wrong views. They save them with these expedients. "

209c The Sutras Expounded before the

Saddharmapundarlka-sutra

The third [religion to be studied is Buddhism], The World-honored One of Great Enlightenment is the Great Leader, the Great Eye, the Great Bridge, the Great Ship Captain, the Great Paddy Field of Merits of all living beings. Although the Four Saints of Confucianism and the Three Seers are called saints, they are ordinary men who have not yet eliminated the three illusions. Although they are called sages, they are as ignorant as infants in that they do not know causality. How can we cross the great ocean of birth and death if we make our ship from their teachings? How can we traverse the river of the six regions by making our bridge from their teachings? Our Great Teacher eliminated the cause of birth and death, which bodhisattvas must have in the earlier stage of bodhisattvahood. Needless to say, he abolished the cause of birth and death of the living beings of the six regions. He released himself from the fundamental illusion of ignorance. Needless to say, he abolished all the other secondary illusions derived from false judgment and evil desire.

The Buddha expounded his teachings for more than fifty years from his enlightenment at the age of thirty to his parinirvana at the age of eighty. His words are all true. Not a single word of his is false. We admit that the words of Confucius and Brahmanical saints are true because their deeds are consistent with their minds. Needless to say, the Buddha never told a lie for the past innumerable kalpas. Therefore, we can say that his more-thanfifty years' teachings are the Great Vehicle when compared with Confucianism and Brahmanism, and that his words are the true words of the Great Man. All his teachings expounded 12

Chapter I

from the day of his enlightenment to the evening of his parinirvana are true.

But the sutras containing his teachings expounded during more than fifty years, compiled in 80,000 storehouses of the Dharma, are various. There are Mahayana and Hinayana sutras, true teachings and provisional teachings, exoteric teachings and esoteric teachings. The Buddha speaks gently in some sutras, and harshly in other sutras. Some words are right while others seem to be wrong. Some views are true while other views seem to be false. Only the Saddharmapundarika-sutra contains the correct words of the Lord Teacher, Sakyamuni, the World-honored One, and the true words of the Buddhas of the worlds of the ten quarters in the past, present, and future. The World-honored One of Great Enlightenment said that he had not revealed his true teaching during the first forty and more years of his teaching, although his teachings expounded during that period are recorded in as many sutras as there are sands in the Ganges River. He said in the Saddharmapundarika-sutra, which he expounded during his last eight years, "I will expound my true teaching," and then expounded it. Thereupon Prabhutaratna Buddha appeared from underground and proved the truthfulness of his teachings, saying, "What you have expounded is all true."

The Buddhas who were the emanations of Sakyamuni Buddha assembled and stretched their long tongues up to the Brahma Heaven to praise him. The words of these Buddhas are as clear as the sun in the cloudless sky or as the full moon at night. Look up to heaven and believe them! Bow down to the earth and think them over! The Buddha expounds two important teachings in this sutra. These teachings are not known to the Kusha (Kosa), Jojitsu (Satyasiddhi), Ritsu (Vinaya), Hosso (Dharmalaksana), and Sanron (Three Sastras) Sects. The Kegon (Avataihsaka) and Shingon Sects took these two teachings from this sutra and made them the core of their own sects. The teaching of one mind-three thousand [which means that there are three thousand things in one mind] is 13

210a

expounded between the lines of the "Chapter on the Duration of the Life of the Tathagata" in the "Discourse of the Original Buddha" of the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra. Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu knew this teaching, but did not propagate it. Our great teacher T'ien-t'ai Chih-che (Tendai Chisha) was the first person to propagate it.

In order to understand the teaching of the one mind-three thousand, we must first see the truth that the ten regions interpenetrate one another. The Hosso and Sanron Sects established eight regions, but not ten. Needless to say, they did not know that the ten regions interpenetrate one another.

The Kusha, Jojitsu, and Ritsu Sects were founded on the Agama sutras. These sects knew only six regions, not the other four. They said that there is only one Buddha in the worlds of the ten quarters. They did not go so far as to say that there is one Buddha in the worlds of a quarter. Furthermore, they did not say that all living beings have the Buddha-nature. They said that no one other than the Buddha had the Buddha-nature. But nowadays they say that there are Buddhas in the worlds of the ten quarters, and that all living beings have the Buddha-nature. It seems that some scholars of these sects, who appeared after the extinction of the Buddha, took these teachings from the Great Vehicle and put them into their own sects.

Confucianism and Brahmanism also took some teachings from Buddhism. Brahmanism before the appearance of the Buddha was less harmful. After the Buddha, the brahmans studied Buddhism and discovered their own faults. They thought of a device. They took the teachings of the Buddha, and put them into their sects with the effect that their wrong views became worse. They created new wrong views and distorted Buddhist teachings. So did Confucians. The Confueians and Taoists before the introduction of Buddhism into China were as naive as infants. After Buddhism was introduced in the Later Han dynasty, controversies arose between Confucians and Buddhists. After that, Buddhism was steadily propagated. [Some Confucians and Taoists became 14

Chapter I

Buddhist priests.] Some of them violated the Buddhist precepts, quit the Buddhist priesthood, and returned to secular life. They flattered their lay supporters, and took the teachings of the Buddha into Confucianism.

It says in the Makashikan, Volume V:

Nowadays many evil bhiksus violate the Buddhist precepts, and return to secular life. They become Taoist priests to avoid attacks by Buddhists. They expound the teachings of Chuang-tzu and Lao-tzu in order to obtain fame and gain. They appropriate the teachings of he Buddha and put them into their texts. Thus, they pull higher teachings down to the level of lower teachings, nobler teachings down to the level of poor teachings, and make the two religions equal to each other. It says in the Shikan-guketsu, Volume V:

For instance, Wei-yuan-sung (Eigensu) became a Buddhist bhiksu, and caused damage to Buddhism. He violated the Buddhist precepts and returned to secular life. As a secular person, he spoiled Buddhism. He took the right teachings of the Buddha and added them to Taoist texts, which were full of rong views. "To pull higher teachings down to the level of lower teachings" means to interpret Buddhism according to Taoism and make the right teachings of the Buddha equal to the wrong teachings of Taoism. This is nonsense. "To pull nobler teachings down to the level of oor teachings" means to become a Buddhist priest, appropriate the right teachings of he Buddha, amend their wrong teachings with them, lower the eighty thousand storehouses of the Dharma with the twelve elements to the level of the book of only five thousand words compiled in only two volumes, and expound the poor teachings of that book by using the teachings of the Buddha.

This is a comment on the previous quotations from the Makashikan. You should read this comment.

2i0c Kaimokusho or Liberation from Blindness

Some Buddhist sects also [appropriate the teachings of the other sects]. Buddhism was introduced into China in the years of Yung-p'ing (Eihei) of the Later Han dynasty. The texts of other religions yielded to those of Buddhism. The Buddhist texts, however, created three sects in South China and seven sects in North China. The controversies among them were furious. In the end, they were defeated by [T'ien-t'ai] Chih-che in the Ch'en (Chi) and Sui (Zui) dynasties. Accordingly, the priests of he ten sects stopped quarreling and resumed their mission to save people. After that, the Hosso and Shingon Sects were introduced from India. The Kegon Sect was also introduced. Among them, the Hosso Sect was the most antagonistic to the Tendai (T'ien-t'ai) Sect. The Hosso Sect was as different from the Tendai Sect as water is from fire. But Hsiian-tsang San-tsang (Genjo Sanzo) and Ts'u-e Ta-shih (Jion Daishi) studied T'ien-t'ai's commentaries [on the Saddharmapundarika-sutra], and evidently discovered their own faults. They did not convert themselves to the Tendai Sect, but it seems that they followed T'ien-t'ai in their hearts. The Kegon and Shingon Sects are essentially Provisional Mahayana sects based on the sutras of Provisional Mahayana Buddhism. Subhakarasimha San-tsang and Vajrabodhi San-tsang of the Shingon Sect took the teaching of one mind-three thousand from the Tendai Sect and made it the core of their sects. They added mudras and mantras to that teaching, and said that their teachings were more excellent than the teachings of the Tendai Sect. Those who do not know this fact think that the teaching of one mind-three thousand was already given in the Mahavairocana-sutra introduced from India.

Ch'eng-kuan (Chokan) of he Kegon Sect interpreted the words of the Avatarhsaka-sutra, "Mind is like a skillful painter, " with the teaching of one mind-three thousand, which he had taken from T'ien-t'ai. No one knows this.

The six sects including the Kegon Sect were introduced in Japan before the Tendai and Shingon Sects. The Kegon, Sanron, and Hosso Sects were contradictory to one another. 16

Chapter I

Dengyo Daishi appeared in this country and not only defeated the wrong teachings of the six sects, but also found that the Shingon Sect appropriated T'ien-t'ai's philosophy based on the Saddharmapundarika-sutra and made it the core of his own sect. Dengyo Daishi criticized the six sects and the Shingon Sect by quoting entirely from sutras, not from books full of diverse opinions written by scholars of the various sects. As a result, not only the high priests of the six sects, numbering eight, twelve, fourteen, or three hundred and more, but also Kobo Daishi were defeated in debates. All the priests of Japan followed the Tendai Sect; and all the temples of Japan, including those of the six sects and Toji Temple, were affiliated with Hieizan Enryakuji Temple. Dengyo Daishi also revealed the fact that the founders of all the sects in China followed T'ien-t'ai, and thereby they were able to release themselves from the charge of slandering the Dharma.

In the course of time, the world deteriorated, and people became too ignorant to understand the profound teachings of the Tendai Sect. As the teachings of the six or seven sects were more widely propagated, the Tendai Sect was weakened by these sects. Finally, the Tendai Sect was defeated by the Zen and Jodo Sects. These two sects are less powerful than the six or seven sects, and are not worth noting. The laymen who supported the Tendai Sect changed their allegiance to the Zen and Jodo Sects, and all the celebrated priests of the Tendai Sect joined those two sects to help them. The lands donated to the six or eight sects were transferred to the Zen and Jodo Sects. Now the right teachings of the Buddha have been ignored. The gods who vowed to protect the right teachings of the Buddha, such as Tensho Daijin, Sho Hachiman, and Sanno, have deserted this country because they are not offered the delicacy of the Dharma. Instead, devils have taken advantage of their absence. Our country is now on the verge of destruction.

211a The Possibility of Adherents of the Two

Vehicles Attaining Buddhahood

I studied the teachings of the Buddha and found that there are many differences between the Buddha's teachings expounded during the first forty and more years and those expounded during his last eight years. The most important difference, however, which is pointed out by many scholars today, and which I also agree with, is that the Buddha taught during his last years the two teachings that: (1) adherents of he two vehicles, the pratyekabuddha vehicle and the sravaka vehicle, can become Buddhas, and (2) Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment in the remotest past.

According to the Saddharmapundarika-sutra, Sariputra is given the name of Padmaprabha Tathagata; Kasyapa, Rasmiprabhasa Tathagata; Subhuti, Sasiketu Tathagata; Katyayana, Jambunadaprabhasa Tathagata; Maudgalyayana, Tamalapatracandanagandha Buddha; Purna, Dharmaprabhasa Tathagata; Ananda, Sagaravaradharabuddhivikriditabhijna Buddha; Rahula, Saptaratnapadmavikrantagamin Tathagata; the five hundred or seven hundred arhats, Samantaprabhasa Tathagata; the two thousand sravakas, some of whom had something more to learn while others had nothing more to learn, Ratnaketuragata; Mahaprajapati, Sarvasattvapriyadarsana Tathagata; and Yasodhara, Rasmisatasahasraparipurnadhvaja Tathagata. These people seem to be honored in the Saddharmapundarikasutra, but our respect for them is lessened when we see them in the sutras expounded before the Saddharmapundarika-sutra. Now I will explain why I say this. [As I stated previously,] the Buddha, the World-honored One, never tells a lie. Therefore, he is called Saint or the Great Man. Even in Confucianism or Brahmanism, sages, saints, or seers were called so because they did not tell lies. The Buddha excels them. Therefore, the World-honored One is called the Great Man.

Chapter I

This Great Man says in the Saddharmapundarika-sutra: I have appeared in this world for the sole purpose-----I have never expounded my true teaching— I, the Worldhonored One, will expound my true teaching only after a long period of expounding expedient teachings— I have laid aside all expedient teachings.

Prabhutaratna Buddha proved the truthfulness of the words of Sakyamuni Buddha, and the Buddhas who emanated from Sakyamuni Buddha stretched their tongues to show their approval of the teaching of Sakyamuni Buddha. Who will doubt Sakyamuni Buddha's statement that Sariputra will become Padmaprabha Tathagata or that Kasyapa will become Rasmiprabhasa Tathagata? [Since the Buddha never tells a lie,] we must say that the sutras expounded before the Saddharmapundarika-sutra are also the true words of the Buddha. But we see contradictory statements in the following [seven] quotations.

[1] It says in the Avatarhsaka-sutra:

The wisdom of the Tathagata is like the Great Medicine King Tree. This tree does not grow and benefit itself in two places [in a hole and in water]. Adherents of the two vehicles will fall into a broad, deep hole. And those who destroy the roots of ood will be drowned in the water of rong views, greed, and sensuality.

The meaning of this quotation is as follows. There is a large tree in the Himalaya Mountains. It is called "Endless Roots. " It is called Great Medicine King Tree. It is the great king of all the trees in the Jambudvipa. It is 168,000 yojanas tall. All the trees and grasses in the Jambudvipa will be given flowers and fruits according to the development of the roots, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits of this tree. This tree is likened to the Buddha-nature; and all the trees and grasses, to all living beings. However, this tree does not grow in a hole of fire and in water. The minds of the adherents of 19

211b

2iic the two vehicles are compared to a hole of fire; and the minds of icchantikas [who have no Buddha-nature] are compared to water. These two kinds of people can never become Buddhas. [2] It says in the Mahasarhnipata-sutra:

Two kinds of people will die and never be reborn. They do not know the favors given to them by others; therefore, they cannot repay the favors. These two kinds of people are sravakas and pratyekabuddhas. One who falls into a deep hole cannot benefit himself or others. Sravakas and pratyekabuddhas are like him. They will fall into the deep hole of nirvana, and will not be able to benefit themselves or others.

The purpose of the teachings of Confucianism, expounded in the texts of more than three thousand volumes, is to emphasize the importance of wo virtues: filial piety or kb (hsiao), and loyalty to one's lord or chu (chung). A loyal subject grows out of a dutiful son. Filial piety is homonymic with kb (kao), meaning "high. " The virtue of filial piety is higher in value than heaven. Filial piety is also homonymic with kb (hou), meaning "thickness. " The virtue of filial piety is "thicker" in value than even the crust of the earth. Saints and sages of Confucianism were dutiful to their parents in their homes. Needless to say, we students of the teachings of the Buddha should know of he favors given by others and repay them. As far as we are disciples of the Buddha, we should acknowledge the four kinds of favors and repay them.

The adherents to the two vehicles, such as Sariputra and Kasyapa, observed the two hundred fifty precepts and the three thousand deportments and practiced the three dhyanas: the dhyana of the stage of taste, the dhyana with illusions, and the dhyana without illusions. They studied the Agama sutras and eliminated the illusions caused by false judgment and evil desire in the triple world. It appears that they are paragons of knowing favors and repaying them. But the Buddha says that they do not know the favors of their parents. Why is that? 20

Chapter I

The purpose of becoming a monk by renouncing one's family is to save one's parents. Adherents of the two vehicles think that they can emancipate themselves from suffering. It may be true, but it is very difficult for them to benefit others. They may benefit others to some extent, but they will send their parents to the world where their parents can never become Buddhas. Therefore, I say that they do not know the favors of their parents. [3] It says in the Vimalakirtinirdesa-sutra: Vimalakirti asked Manjusri again, "What is the seed of the Tathagata?"

Manjusri answered, "Even those who have all the illusions can have the seeds of the Tathagata. Even those who are destined to be sent to the Hell of Incessant Suffering due to committing the five sins can aspire to Great Enlightenment. ... Young man of good family! A blue lotus or a mallow cannot bloom on a plateau. It blooms only in a muddy and dirty field. [In the same manner, the adherents to the two vehicles cannot become Buddhas.] Those who have already attained arhatship and become the Deservers of Offerings cannot aspire to perfect enlightenment to attain Buddhahood, just as those who have defects in sense organs cannot enjoy the pleasures of the five senses." The meaning of this quotation is as follows. Even if the three poisons—greed, anger, and ignorance—become the seeds of Buddhahood, even if the five sins such as patricide become the seeds of Buddhahood, even if a blue lotus blooms on a plateau, adherents of the two vehicles cannot become Buddhas. Even if evil men become Buddhas, good adherents of the two vehicles cannot become Buddhas. In the sutras of the Lesser Vehicle, evil men are blamed while good men are praised. But in this sutra, good adherents of the two vehicles are slandered while evil men are praised. It appears as if this sutra were expounded by a heretic, not by the Buddha. What is emphasized most in this sutra is, I think, that adherents of the two vehicles can never become Buddhas. 21

212a [4] It says in the Hodoarani-kyo (Fang-teng-t'o-lo-ni-ching): Manjusri said to Sariputra, "Can a dead tree bloom, or not? Can the water of he river of a mountain go back to its fountainhead, or not? Can a stone which is smashed into pieces recover its original form, or not? Can a parched seed put forth a bud, or not?"

Sariputra answered, "No."

Manjusri said, "You say that it cannot. Then why do you ask me hopefully whether you can be assured of your attainment of Buddhahood?"

The meaning of this quotation is as follows. A dead tree cannot bloom. The running water cannot go back to its fountainhead. A smashed stone cannot recover its original form. A parched seed cannot put forth a bud. The adherents of the two vehicles are also like them. Their seeds of Buddhahood are parched. [5] It says in the Mahdprajndpdramita-sutra: [Subhuti says,] "The gods can aspire to anuttara-samyaksambodhi if they have not yet done so. Those who have become sravakas cannot aspire to anuttara-samyaksambodhi because they will leave the world of birth and death, and lose their chance to aspire to that. " The meaning of this quotation is as follows. Subhuti says that he will not be glad to see the adherents of the two vehicles because they cannot aspire to perfect enlightenment, but that he will be glad to see the gods because they can aspire to it. [6] It says in the Surarhgama-sutra:

Those who have committed the five sins will be able to become Buddhas if they hear of the suraihgama samadhi expounded in this sutra and aspire to anuttara-samyaksambodhi. World-honored One! The arhats who have eliminated illusions cannot practice this samadhi because they are like a cracked pot which cannot receive any water. 22

Chapter I

[7] It says in the Vimalakirtinirdesa-sutra:

Those who make offerings to you [sravakas] cannot be called paddy fields of merits. Those who make offerings to you will fall into the three evil regions.

This quotation means that the gods and men who make offerings to saintly priests like Kasyapa and Sariputra will fall into the three evil regions.

I thought that these saintly priests were the eyes of gods and men and the leaders of ll living beings, next in rank to the Buddha. I did not realize that the Buddha criticized them repeatedly in the presence of a great multitude of gods and men. It appears that the Buddha tried to torture his disciples to death. He criticized them even more. He said that bodhisattvas are like cow's milk while adherents of he two vehicles are like donkey's milk, that bodhisattvas are like a pot of gold while adherents of the two vehicles are like an earthware pot, and that bodhisattvas are like sunshine while adherents of the two vehicles are like the glow of a firefly. He slandered adherents of the two vehicles not in a word or two, not for a day or two, not for a month or two, not for a year or two, not in a sutra or two, but for more than forty years in innumerable sutras in the presence of innumerable multitudes of people, without a word of leniency. Therefore, everyone knew, as is said in the proverb, "I know. You know. Heaven also knows, that adherents of the two vehicles can never become Buddhas, because everyone believed that the World-honored One never told a lie. Everyone knew this, not only a person or two, but also thousands of millions of people, gods, dragons, and asuras of the triple world, the people of the five districts of India, the people of the four continents, the people of he six heavens of esire, of he realms of form and the formless, and the people who came to this Saha world from the worlds of the ten quarters, including gods, men, adherents of the two vehicles, and great bodhisattvas, heard and knew this. The people who came from the worlds of the ten quarters returned to their home worlds and told the people there what 212b

they had heard from Sakyamuni, the World-honored One, of the Saha world. Therefore, all the people of he worlds of the ten quarters understood that Kasyapa, Sariputra, and the other sravakas can never become Buddhas, and that to make offerings to them is not recommended.

But the Buddha said in the Saddharmapundarika-sutra, which he expounded during his last eight years, that adherents of the two vehicles are able to become Buddhas. How could the great multitude of gods and men believe him? All gods and men not only rejected the Saddharmapundarika-sutra but also doubted the truthfulness of the sutras expounded before the Saddharmapundarika-sutra. Thus, all the teachings that the Buddha expounded during more than fifty years were about to be considered false. They thought, The Buddha's statement that he has never expounded his true teaching for the past forty and more years may be false. Maybe the sutra of the last eight years is not being expounded by the Buddha, but by a devil who has transformed himself into the Buddha." However, the Buddha ignored their doubts and announced the names of alpas, countries, and Buddhas to be given to the sravakas in their future lives. He announced the names of the countries where adherents of the two vehicles would be reborn, the names of the kalpas in which they would be reborn, and the number of disciples whom they would teach in their future lives. Thus, the words of the Lord Teacher Sakyamuni, the World-honored One, contradicted what he had said before. Here he committed "contradiction in one's own words. " That is why brahmans laughed at the Buddha, saying, 'The Buddha is a great liar. " The great multitude of gods and men were astonished at the words of the Buddha, and their enthusiasm cooled. The Lord Teacher Sakyamuni, the Worldhonored One, was blamed by the great multitude of gods and men for his contradictory statements. He explained the reason for this in various ways, but they did not seem to understand him. He was quite at a loss what to do with them.

Thereupon Prabhutaratna Tathagata came from the Ratnavisuddha world in the east, riding on a great stupa made of seven 24

Chapter I

treasures, five hundred yojanas tall and two hundred fifty yojanas wide and deep. The stupa sprang up from underground, and appeared in the sky before the Buddha. The stupa shone as brilliantly as the full moon rising from the eastern mountain in the dark night. The stupa of the seven treasures was floating in the sky, not resting on the earth, nor in the highest heaven. Now a Brahma voice was heard from within the stupa of treasures. It says in the Saddharmapundarika-sutra:

Thereupon a loud voice of praise was heard from within the stupa of treasures: "Excellent, excellent! You, Sakyamuni, the World-honored One, have expounded to this great multitude the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, the Teaching of Equality, the Great Wisdom, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas. So it is, so it is. What you, Sakyamuni, the Worldhonored One, have expounded is all true...." Thereupon the World-honored One displayed his great supernatural powers in the presence of he multitude, which included not only many hundreds of thousands of billions of odhisattvas, headed by Manjusri, who had already lived on the ground of this Saha world [before the arrival of the bodhisattvas from underground], but also... men, and nonhuman beings. He stretched out his broad and long tongue upwards until the tip of it reached the world of Brahma. Then he emitted rays of light from his pores. The Buddhas who were sitting on the lion seats under the jeweled trees of the worlds of the ten quarters also stretched out their broad and long tongues and emitted innumerable rays of light....

Sakyamuni Buddha, wishing to send the Buddhas his emanations, who had come from the worlds of the ten quarters, and Many Treasures Buddha back to their home worlds, said, "May the stupa of Many Treasures Buddha be where it was! "

212c

213a

According to the Avatamsaka-sutra, when the World-honored One of Great Enlightenment attained enlightenment, Buddhas appeared in the worlds of the ten quarters and dispatched great bodhisattvas to this world to console him. In the Mahaprajhaparamita-sutra, Sakyamuni, the World-honored One, covered the one thousand million Sumeru worlds with his broad and long tongue, and one thousand Buddhas appeared in the worlds of the ten quarters. In the Suvarnaprabhasa-sutra, four Buddhas appeared in the worlds of the four quarters. In the Sukhdvativyuha-sutra, the Buddhas of the world of the six quarters covered the one thousand million Sumeru worlds with their broad and long tongues. In the Mahdsamnipdta-sutra, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of he worlds of the ten quarters assembled at the Great Treasure Hall. These sutras are different from the Saddharmapundarikasutra just as a yellow stone is different from gold, as a white cloud is from a white mountain, as ice is from a mirror of silver, or as black is from blue. But a dim-eyed, squint-eyed, one-eyed, or wrongeyed man cannot see this difference. The Avatamsaka-sutra has no antecedent sutra. Therefore, there is no contradictory statement of the Buddha in that sutra. No one doubted the Buddha. The Mahasamnipata-sutra, Mahdprajhaparamita-sutra, Suvarnaprabhasa-sutra, and Sukhdvativyuha-sutra were expounded for the purpose of criticizing

adherents of the two vehicles who relied on the Hinayana sutras. In these Mahayana sutras, the Pure Worlds of the Buddhas were established in the worlds of the ten quarters in order to encourage ordinary men and bodhisattvas to be reborn there. This troubled adherents of the two vehicles. There are some differences between the Hinayana sutras and the Mahayana sutras. In the Mahayana sutras, it says that the Buddhas appear in the worlds of the ten quarters; that great bodhisattvas are dispatched from the worlds of the ten quarters; that this particular sutra is expounded in the worlds of the ten quarters; that the Buddhas assembled from the worlds of he ten quarters; that Sakyamuni, the World-honored One, stretched his tongue over the one thousand million Sumeru worlds; 26

Chapter I

or that the Buddhas stretched their tongues. All these statements are given, I believe, for the purpose of criticizing the teaching of the Hinayana sutras that there is only one Buddha in the worlds of the ten quarters.

The differences between the Hinayana sutras and the Mahayana sutras are, however, not so great as the differences between the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra and the Mahayana sutras expounded before and after the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra. When the Buddha expounded the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra, Sariputra and other sravakas, great bodhisattvas, gods, and men were so astonished at the differences that they thought that the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra might have been expounded by "Mara in the form of the Buddha." The dim-eyed scholars of the Kegon, Hosso, Sanron, Shingon, and Nembutsu Sects do not notice these differences. They say that the sutras of heir sects are not different from the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra because their sutras are also Mahayana, just as the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra is. Some people in the lifetime of the Buddha may have believed in the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra and abandoned the sutras expounded before the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra during the first forty and odd years. But it is very difficult for the people who appeared after the extinction of the Buddha to believe in this sutra because (1) the earlier sutras have many themes, but this sutra has only one theme, (2) the earlier sutras are many in number, but this sutra is only one, and (3) the earlier sutras were expounded during so long a time as forty-odd years, but this sutra was expounded during only eight years.

Many people say, "The Buddha is a great liar. We cannot believe him. If we must believe in something, we shall probably believe in the earlier sutras. We can never believe in the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra."

Some say that they believe in the Saddharmapundarlkasutra, but the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra they claim to believe in is not the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra in its proper sense, because these people gladly follow the priests who say that the 27

2i3b Saddharmapundarika-sutra is not different from the Mahavairocana-sutra, Avatamsaka-sutra, or Sukhavatlvyuha-sutra. They do not follow the priests who say that the Saddharmapundarika-sutra is different from the other sutras. Even when they follow the latter, they do so only superficially, not from the bottom of their hearts. No one agrees with me when I say, "Since Buddhism was introduced into Japan more than seven hundred years ago, no one in Japan has read the Saddharmapundarika-sutra correctly except Dengyo Daishi." But what I say is consistent with the statement in the Saddharmapundarika-sutra:

It is not difficult to grasp Mount Sumeru and hurl it to a distance of countless Buddha worlds.... It is difficult to expound this sutra in the evil world after the extinction of he Buddha.

According to the Mahaparinirvana-sutra, which was expounded as a supplement to the Saddharmapundarika-sutra, the slanderers of he right teachings of he Buddha in the defiled world of the Age of Degeneration are more numerous than the keepers of the right teachings of the Buddha, just as the particles of earth of the worlds of the ten quarters are more numerous than the particles of earth put on a nail. What do you think of this? Are the people of Japan the particles of earth on a nail? Am I the particles of earth of the worlds of the ten quarters? Think it over! Justice will win in the reign of a wise king. But justice will have to yield to injustice in the reign of a stupid monarch. You should know that the true significance of the Saddharmapundarika-sutra will be revealed in the world of a saint.

It seems that the sutras expounded before the Saddharmapundarika-sutra are more attractive than the first fourteen chapters of the Saddharmapundarika-sutra. But if the earlier sutras are more attractive [and more valuable], Sariputra and other adherents of the two vehicles would have lost a chance to become Buddhas forever. How sad it would be for them!

Chapter I

The Eternity of Sakyamuni Buddha

The other of he two [most important teachings of he Saddharmapundarika-sutra is that Sakyamuni Buddha is eternal]. Our Lord Teacher Sakyamuni, the World-honored One, was born in the latter half of the ninth antara kalpa of the kalpa of maintenance, when the average age of men had been reduced to a hundred years. He was a grandson of King Simhahunu, and the first son of ing Suddhodana. In his childhood, he was called Crown Prince Siddhartha or All Teaching Accomplished Bodhisattva. He renounced his family at the age of nineteen, and attained enlightenment at the age of thirty. At the place of enlightenment, he was ceremonially rewarded with the lordship of the Lotus King world. He expounded the great wonderful teachings of the ten propositions, the six characteristics of all things, the perfect harmony of all things, and the sudden way of attaining enlightenment. All the Buddhas of the world of the ten quarters appeared, and all bodhisattvas assembled. Can it be that the Buddha kept the Great Dharma unexpounded in such circumstances, provided with the wonderful world and excellent hearers and also with the appearance of the Buddhas?

The Buddha said in the Avatarhsaka-sutra, "I expound the perfect sutra with my power of freedom. " The Avatarhsaka-sutra is compiled in sixty volumes. Every letter of the sutra is perfect just as every cintamani gem is as brilliant as a chain of innumerable cintamani gems. A single gem is as brilliant as a chain of gems and a chain of gems is not more brilliant than a single gem. In the same manner, a letter of the Avatarhsaka-sutra is as perfect as the whole sutra while the sutra is not more perfect than a letter. It says in this sutra, "Our mind is equal to the mind of the Buddha and also of all living beings." This teaching is the core not only of the Kegon Sect but also of the Hosso, Sanron, Shingon, and Tendai Sects. How can it be that the Buddha kept his teachings unrevealed in such a wonderful sutra?

2i3c

The Buddha said in this sutra, however, that adherents of the two vehicles and the icchantikas cannot become Buddhas. This statement of the Buddha is like a flaw in a precious stone. He also said as many as three times in this sutra that he attained enlightenment for the first time during his life in this world. He never revealed in this sutra that he attained Buddhahood in the remotest past as he did in the "Chapter on the Duration of the Life of the Tathagata" in the Saddharmapundarika-sutra. From this we must say that the Avatarhsaka-sutra is like a broken gem, the moon covered with clouds, or the eclipsed sun. It is very strange.

What is lacking in the Avatarhsaka-sutra cannot be found in the Agama sutras, the Vaipulya sutras, the Mahdprajhdparamita-sutra, or the Mahavairocana-sutra, because these sutras are worthless when compared with the Avatarhsaka-sutra, although they are honorable in so far as they are expounded by the Buddha. The Buddha says in the Agama sutras, "I attained enlightenment for the first time. " It says in the Mahasamnipatasutra, "It is sixteen years since the Tathagata attained enlightenment. " The Vimalakirtinirdesa-sutra reads, "The Buddha sat under the tree for the first time and defeated devils with his power." The Buddha says in the Mahavairocana-sutra, "I once sat at the place of nlightenment." In the Ninno-hannya-kyo (Jen-wang-panjo-ching) the Buddha says, "It is twenty-nine years since I attained Buddhahood." It goes without saying that these sutras do not reveal the eternity of the Buddha.

But what astonishes us is that the Buddha says in the Muryogikyo (Wu-liang-i-ching), I was able to attain anuttara-samyaksambodhi at the end of a period of six years of sitting under the bodhi tree at the place of enlightenment." The Muryogi-kyo is wonderful because in this sutra the Buddha criticized great teachings such as the teaching of "all is mind" in tine vatarhsaka-sutra, the teaching of the sea emblem samadhi, and the teaching of "enlightenment, illusions—not two," these last two teachings being expounded in the Vaipulya sutras and the Mahaprajhaparamitdsutra. The Buddha said that these teachings were expounded 30

Chapter I

before he declared, "I have not yet revealed my true teaching, and that these teachings would require the practice of any kalpas. Yet his statement of the historicity of his Buddhahood in this Muryogi-kyo is consistent with his statement in the Avatamsakasutra that the Buddha attained enlightenment for the first time during his life in this world. How strange!

[We know that an introduction to a book sometimes omits mentioning some of the main points of the whole writing. Therefore,] maybe we can say that the Muryogi-kyo does not refer to the eternity of the Buddha because it is an introduction to the 2i4a Saddharmapundarika-sutra. But what perplexes us most is that [the first fourteen chapters of the Saddharmapundarika-sutra do not refer to the eternity of the Buddha]. The Buddha says in the section on the unification of the three vehicles into the One Vehicle in the principal part of the Saddharmapundarika-sutra:

Only the Buddha attained the highest Truth, that is, the reality of all things.... As a rule, the World-honored One expounds the true teaching only after a long period of expounding expedient teachings— I have laid aside all expedient teachings.

Prabhutaratna Buddha supports the truthfulness of the eight chapters [from Chapter II to Chapter IX], which are included in the first fourteen chapters of the Saddharmapundarika-sutra. This gives us the impression that the Buddha did not conceal any of his teachings in the first fourteen chapters. But the reality is that the Buddha did not tell of the longevity of his life in these chapters. Instead, he says:

I for the first time sat at the place of enlightenment and attained enlightenment. For three weeks after that, I gazed at the tree, or walked about.

This is most unthinkable.

In the "Chapter on Bodhisattvas from Underground" in the Saddharmapundarika-sutra, great bodhisattvas appear who have 31

never been seen in this Saha world for the past forty and more years. The Buddha says, "I taught them, and caused them to aspire to enlightenment."

Maitreya Bodhisattva asks the Buddha, saying: When you, the Tathagata, were Crown Prince [Siddhartha], you left the palace of the Sakyas, sat at the place of enlightenment not far from the city of aya, and attained anuttarasamyak-sambodhi. It is only forty or so years since then. World-honored One! How did you do these great deeds of the Buddha in such a short time?

In order to clear up his doubts, the Lord Teacher Sakyamuni, the World-honored One, refers to the hearers of the earlier sutras and also to the first fourteen chapters of the Saddharmapundarlkasutra, saying at the beginning of the "Chapter on the Duration of the Life of the Tathagata" in the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra: The gods, men, and asuras in the world think that I, Sakyamuni Buddha, left the palace of the Sakyas, sat at the place of enlightenment not far from the city of Gaya, and attained anuttara-samyak-sambodhi [forty and odd years ago].

Then he clears up Maitreya's doubts, saying, "To tell the truth, good men, it is many hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas of kalpas since I became the Buddha."

The Avatamsaka-sutra, Mahdprajndpdramita-sutra, and Mahavairocana-sutra conceal not only the possibility of attaining Buddhahood by adherents of the two vehicles but also Sakyamuni Buddha's attainment of Buddhahood in the remotest past. These sutras have two faults. First, they still preserve the differences between the three vehicles; therefore, their teachings are merely expedient. They do not reveal the teaching of one mind—three thousand expounded in the first fourteen chapters of the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra. Second, they hold that Sakyamuni Buddha attained Buddhahood during his life in this world. Therefore, Sakyamuni Buddha attained Buddhahood during his life 32

Chapter I

in this world. Therefore, the Sakyamuni Buddha in these sutras is historical, not original. The Original Buddha reveals his originality in the "Discourse of he Original Buddha," which covers the second fourteen chapters of he Saddharmapundarlka-sutrct. These two great teachings are the essence of all the teachings of the Buddha, and the core of all the sutras.

In the "Chapter on Expedients," which is included in the "Discourse of he Historical Buddha, " the Buddha expounds the teaching of one mind-three thousand, and accordingly, the teaching of the possibility of attaining Buddhahood by adherents of the two vehicles, and thereby remedies the first fault of the earlier sutras. But the originality of the Buddha is not yet revealed there. Without the revelation of the originality of he Buddha, the teaching of one mind—three thousand is not perfect, and the possibility of attaining Buddhahood by adherents of the two vehicles is not se- cure. The teaching of one mind-three thousand expounded in the "Discourse of the Historical Buddha" is as fictitious as the moon reflected in the water or as rootless as a plant floating on a wave. The historicity of Sakyamuni Buddha is disproved in the "Discourse of the Original Buddha." Accordingly, the differences between the four results to be achieved by the four kinds of teachings — Hinayana teachings, Mahayana-cum-Hinayana teachings, Specialized Mahayana teachings, and Perfect Mahayana teachings—are eliminated. The differences between the four causes of the four results are also eliminated. In the "Discourse of the Original Buddha," the beginninglessness of the causality of birth and death of living beings of the ten regions is established, and the causality of birth and death of living beings of the ten regions expounded in the earlier sutras and also in the first fourteen chapters of the Saddharmapundarlka-sutra is eliminated. This is the teaching of causality revealed in the "Discourse of the Original Buddha." By this teaching, the nine regions other than the Buddha world exist in the beginningless Buddha world, and the Buddha world exists in every one of the nine other regions, which also have no beginning. Here we actually see that the ten regions 2i4b

involve each other, that the one hundred regions thus established each have ten suchnesses, making one thousand suchnesses. This eventually makes the teaching of one mind—three thousand expounded in the "Discourse of the Original Buddha. "

Now we can say this. The scholars of the various sects are ignorant not only of what Buddha or Buddhas they are worshiping but also of he Buddha revealed in the "Chapter on the Duration of the Life of the Tathagata" in the Saddharmapundarikasutra. They do not know that the Buddhas on the lotus flowers revealed in the Avatamsaka-sutra, the Buddhas of the ten quarters, the small Sakyamuni Buddha as described in the Agama sutras, and the Buddhas of the Provisional Mahayana revealed in the Vaipulya sutras, the Mahaprajhaparamita-sutra, the Suvarnaprabhasa-sutra, and the Mahavairocana-sutra are all manifestations of the Buddha revealed in the "Chapter on the Duration of he Life of the Tathagata," just as the water contained in utensils of various sizes reflects the moon variously. They think that a reflection of the moon is the real moon, and try to grasp it or tie it with a rope. T'ien-t'ai says, "They do not know the real moon. They see only a reflection of the moon in the pond. " Even the assurance of Buddhahood for adherents of the two vehicles does not seem to be so attractive as the teachings expounded in the sutras before the Saddharmapundarika-sutra. The teaching that the Buddha attained enlightenment in the remotest past is incomparably less attractive than the teachings of the earlier sutras. The earlier sutras are more attractive than the Saddharmapundarika-sutra, and the "Discourse of the Historical Buddha," which covers the first fourteen chapters of the Saddharmapundarika-sutra, is more attractive than the second fourteen chapters of the sutra. Furthermore, although [the first two of the second fourteen chapters, that is,] the "Chapter on Bodhisattvas from Underground" and the "Chapter on the Duration of he Life of the Tathagata" reveal the eternity of he Buddha, the rest of the second fourteen chapters recover the historicity of the Buddha.

Chapter I

The beginninglessness and endlessness of the dharmakaya of the Buddha is expounded in the Mahaparinirvana-sutra compiled in forty volumes, which was expounded by the Buddha on his deathbed between the two trees, and also in other Mahayana sutras expounded before the Saddharmapundarika-sutra. But the eternity of the sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya of the Buddha is not expounded in those sutras. The eternity of the trikdya of the Buddha is expounded only in the two chapters of the Saddharmapundarika-sutra. It is very difficult to persuade others to pick up only the two chapters of the Saddharmapundarika-sutra, that is, the "Chapter on Bodhisattvas from Underground" and the "Chapter on the Duration of the Life of the Tathagata, and abandon all the other chapters of the sutra and also the vast amount of all the other sutras including the Mahaparinirvana-sutra. The Hosso Sect was founded by Asanga Bodhisattva. There lived a great scholar called Asanga Bodhisattva in India, nine hundred years after the extinction of the Buddha. At night he ascended to the inner palace of he Tusita Heaven and studied the sacred teachings of the Buddha under the guidance of Maitreya Bodhisattva. In the daytime he propagated the teachings of the Hosso Sect in the country of Ayodhya. His disciples were Vasubandhu, Dharmapala, Nanda, and Silabhadra. They were all great scholars. King Siladitya the Great bowed to Asanga Bodhisattva. The brahmans in the five districts of India leveled their banners before him and followed him. Hsiian-tsang San-tsang of China went to India, and stayed there for seventeen years. He visited more than a hundred and thirty countries in India. He followed the Hosso Sect, abandoning all the other sects. He introduced the Hosso Sect into China, and taught the teachings of that sect to Emperor T'ai-tsung (Taiso). Shen-fang (Shimbo), Chia-shang (Kasho), P'u-kuang (Fuko), and K'uei-chi (Kiki) became his disciples. He propagated the sect to more than three hundred sixty countries in China, having Ta-tz'u-en-ssu (Daijionji) as the headquarters of the sect. The sect was introduced into Japan by Doji and Dosho in the reign of the forty-fifth Emperor Shomu. The 2i4c

215a

headquarters of he sect were installed at Yamashina-dera Temple. This sect is probably the most prosperous sect in the three countries: India, China, and Japan.

The scholars of the sect criticize me, saying: In all the sutras, from the Avatarhsaka-sutra expounded at the beginning of the teaching of the Buddha to the Saddharmapundarika-sutra and the Mahaparinirvanasutra expounded at the end of is teaching, the Buddha says that those who do not have the Buddha-nature and those who adhere to the two vehicles can never become Buddhas. The Buddha is not double-tongued. His statement that they can never become Buddhas is unchangeable even if the sun and the moon fall to the ground or even if he earth is turned upside down. In the Saddharmapundarika-sutra or the Mahaparinirvana-sutra, the Buddha never says that those who do not have the Buddha-nature and those who adhere to the two vehicles, both of whom are criticized in the earlier sutras, will become Buddhas by mentioning their names. Close your eyes and think it over! If the Saddharmapundarika-sutra or the Mahaparinirvana-sutra contains

the Buddha's statement that adherents of the two vehicles and people without the Buddha-nature can become Buddhas, can it be that great scholars such as Asanga and Vasubandhu and Tripitaka teachers such as Hsiian-tsang and Tz'u-en overlooked that statement, made no comment on it, did not credit it, and made no efforts to propagate it? Did Asanga not ask Maitreya about that statement? You say that you follow the words of the Saddharmapundarika-sutra. But you believe only the prejudiced views of T'ien-t'ai, Miao-le, and Dengyo, and you read the sutra with their prejudices. Therefore, you say that the Saddharmapundarika-sutra is as different from the earlier sutras as water is from fire. The Kegon and Shingon Sects are far more excellent than the Hosso and Sanron Sects. They criticize me, saying: 36

Chapter I

It is clear that the assurance of Buddhahood for adherents of the two vehicles and the eternity of Sakyamuni Buddha are expounded not only in the Saddharmapundarika-sutra but also in the Avatarhsaka-sutra and the Mahavairocanasutra. Tu-shun (Tojun), Chih-yen (Chigon), Fa-tsang (Hozo), and Ch'eng-kuan (Chokan) of the Kegon Sect, and Subhakarasimha, Vajrabodhi, and Amoghavajra of the Shingon Sect are far more respectable than T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo. Subhakarasimha and others were the orthodox successors of the Dharma from Mahavairocana Tathagata. There is no doubt that these successors never committed mistakes because they were reincarnations of the Buddha. It says in the Avatarhsaka-sutra that it is an inconceivable number of kalpas since Sakyamuni attained Buddhahood. The Buddha says in the Mahdvairocana-sutra that he is the origin of all. How can you say that the eternity of Sakyamuni Buddha is expounded only in the "Chapter on the Duration of the Life of he Tathagata" in the Saddharmapundarika-sutra? A frog in a well does not know the ocean. You are like the frog or like a woodsman who does not know the capital city. Do you read only the "Chapter on the Duration of the Life of the Tathagata"? Do you not know the Avatarhsaka-sutra and the Mahavairocana-sutra? I ask you more. Do the scholars of India, China, Silla, and Pekche also say that the assurance of Buddhahood of the adherents to the two vehicles and the eternity of Sakyamuni Buddha are expounded only in the Saddharmapundarika-sutra?

It is true that the sutra expounded during the last eight years of the Buddha's teaching is different from the sutras expounded during the forty and odd years before that. It is also true that, when a latter statement contradicts a former statement, we should follow the latter statement. Notwithstanding this, however, the earlier sutras are more attractive than the Saddharmapundarika-sutra. 37

215b The Saddharmapundarika-sutra may have been duly appreciated in the lifetime of the Buddha, but most of the scholars who appeared after the extinction of the Buddha have favored the earlier sutras. It was difficult to believe the Saddharmapundarikasutra even when it was first expounded. It is more difficult in this Age of Degeneration, when saints and sages are decreasing in number, and when perverted people are increasing instead. Today, even secular matters are apt to be mishandled. Needless to say, profound teachings of the spiritual world are liable to be misunderstood. Even the clever teachers of the Vatslputriya and Vaipulya Sects did not know the difference between Mahay na and Hinayana. Even wise men such as [a person known in China as] Wu-kou (Muku) and [a person whose name is transliterated as] Mo-t'a (Mato) could not distinguish true teachings from provisional teachings. These sects were founded in India in the Age of the Right Teachings of the Buddha, that is, during the one thousand years after the extinction of the Buddha. From this we can say that the teachings of the Buddha were misunderstood even in their birthplace not so long after the extinction of the Buddha. People who were born long after the extinction of the Buddha in remote countries such as China and Japan, where languages are different, are less clever, die younger, and have more greed, more anger, and more stupidity. There is no wonder that none of them understands the Buddhist sutras correctly.

The Buddha says in the Mahaparinirvana-sutra: In the Age of Degeneration, the keepers of the right teachings of the Buddha will be fewer than the slanderers of his teachings, just as the particles of earth put on a nail are fewer than those of earth composing the worlds of the ten quarters.

He also says in the Hometsujin-kyo (Fa-mieh-chin-ching): The keepers of he right teachings of he Buddha will be fewer than the slanderers of is teachings, just as a pebble or two are fewer than the particles of sands in the Ganges River. 38

Chapter I

There will be hardly one person who keeps the right teachings of the Buddha in the five hundred or one thousand years to come. [Many] people will be sent to the evil regions due to committing worldly crimes. But they are much fewer than those who are sent to the evil regions for slandering the Dharma of the Buddha, just as the particles of earth put on a nail are fewer than the particles of earth composing the worlds of the ten quarters. More priests will be sent there than laymen; more nuns than laywomen. 39

Nguồn: BDK America — English Tripiṭaka (bdkamerica.org).

T2689 Kaimokushō or Liberation from Blindness

KAIMOKUSHO OR

Title Page

Copyright

Editorial Foreword

Publisher’s Foreword

Contents

Translator’s Introduction

Notes on Transliteration

Contents

Chapter I