The Buddha
Within
A
presentation by Kathy Robey,
At
Good morning everyone and thank you for coming. Last week Dr Scott Olsen delivered a speech on the history of Buddhism based on his studies and experience as a professor of comparative literature. My study and experience come from a person who practices one form of Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhism, which was established in thirteenth century Japan. The teachings of Nichiren Daishonin are based on the Lotus Sutra, the historical Buddha’s final teaching. They are the culmination of Shakyamuni’s teachings.
Shakyamuni Buddha lived in an age when the historical details of a person’s life were not generally recorded. The value and impact of a person or an event was what was entered into history. Buddhist scholars have long been studying and questioning the myriad details of Shakyamuni’s life and there is no real consensus as to exact date of his birth and the length of his various austerities and activities that can be agreed upon. The fact that calendars have changed adds to the confusion. The important thing is that his life and teachings enable us to understand the workings of the universe and that we all have Buddhahood as our essential nature. Whether or not we recognize it is what makes the difference between a Buddha and a common mortal.
Because all the teachings of Shakyamuni were recorded, there is a vast array of teachings. After his original enlightenment he taught by several different methods. His goal was always to lead people to enlightenment. Sometimes he taught according to the capacity of the people to understand, sometimes he taught according to the times. Sometimes he taught the ultimate Dharma (the ultimate Law). Because his teachings are at times contradictory, a large number of schools developed, basing their teachings on one or another of the sutras. Also, when Shakyamuni sent his disciples out to proselytize, he sent them out on their own to spread his teachings. Because each of them had a different understanding of the Law and a different set of experiences they brought to their understanding of his teaching, many different sects of Buddhism were established.
Buddhism, actually, refers to all the teachings, which the historical Buddha expounded. The purpose of his teachings was to enable all people to attain the same enlightened state that he himself attained. It is his final teaching, the Lotus Sutra that makes Buddhahood available to all people. A Buddha is not a supernatural being, separate from all other people. A Buddha is one who perceives within their own life the reality of life, which is that all people possess the same potential to achieve Buddhahood. This ultimate reality supports and nourishes humanity and all other living beings. Buddhism is basically a practical system of teaching, providing a means to realize the ideal state of Buddhahood, which is self-perfection.
As
was mentioned last week, Shakyamuni’s motive for
leaving the pampered secular world he was brought up in was his awareness of
the problem of human suffering. It has
been recorded that on four different occasions as he traveled out of the palace
he observed the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death. All of his teachings were expounded for the
sole purpose of solving these universal sufferings and finding a way to
transcend them.
That
is not to say that Buddhism works to free its believers from the phenomena of
aging, sickness and death. It is a fact
that all things go through these stages.
It’s as true of the universe as it is of each of us. Buddhism works to prevent us from suffering
because of having to go through these stages.
Some
sects of Buddhism speak out against attachment to mundane pursuits and urge
people to seek the eternal truth beyond the impermanence of all phenomena. Others assure people of the fulfillment of
secular and material desires. These are not the core of Buddhism. The purpose and significance of Buddhism lies
in overcoming the four basic sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death,
as well as enabling each individual to establish his own identity.
It
was in Shakyamuni’s final teaching, the Lotus Sutra,
that he declared that all living beings have the potential to attain
enlightenment. Before that time, some groups had no hope of attaining
enlightenment, women for example. This was a matter of cultural and historical
beliefs.
Enlightenment
is an awakening to the true nature of life, including the profound realization
of the interconnectedness of all things, the inseparable relationship between
the individual and the environment and the ability of each human being to
powerfully influence both. This
realization leads the individual to assume personal responsibility for his or
her own condition of life and for that of the environment. This responsibility
is furthered by an understanding of the simultaneity of cause and effect. Each thought, word and/or deed has an
inherent effect both on the individual and the environment. Although that
effect may not be immediately realized, it is there. When the time is right it
will manifest. That may occur in this
life or some future existence.
Although
Shakyamuni understood the Law he did not transmit it
in a way that ordinary people could understand it and use it to improve their
daily lives. Only a relatively few
individuals could give up their daily lives to study and practice his teachings
as they were formulated at that time.
. In the sixth century a great Chinese scholar named T’ien-tai studied and systematized Shakyamuni’s teachings. He expounded the theory of Ichinen Sanzen; a single life moment possesses three thousand realms. This is a philosophical system that clarifies the mutually inclusive relationship of the ultimate truth and the phenomenal world. The pre- Lotus Sutra teachings generally hold that the mind is the basis of all phenomena and that all phenomena arise from the mind. Ichinen Sanzen teaches that the mind and all phenomena are “two but not two”. It’s like a coin; there is no head without a tail. There is no separation between our minds and our environment. Our environment is a reflection of our own lives. I expect that although we are all in the same room, hearing the same words, every one of us is experiencing something different, depending on what our lives and experiences have taught us to this point.
T’ien-tai’s teachings systematized Shakyamuni’s
teachings, but they still did not clarify the Law so that all people could
practice it to change their lives and attain Buddhahood.
It
was in thirteenth Century Japan that Nichiren Daishonin established the practice to enable all people to
attain enlightenment.
Nichiren was born in 1222 in a small fishing village named Kominato. At that time the only way for someone not
born into the upper classes to achieve an education was to study in the
Buddhist temples. He entered a Tendai temple when he was twelve and studied both Buddhist
and secular teachings. At sixteen he was
ordained and went to Kamakura to continue his studies. After studying for many years he came to
understand that the Lotus Sutra was Shakyamuni’s
highest teaching and that chanting it’s title, Myo-ho-renge-kyo encompassed all the benefits of reciting
the entire twenty-eight chapters. It’s
as if you call someone’s name.
Everything they are is contained in their name.
It was
April 28, 1253 that he first declared Nam-myo-ho-renge-kyo
as the only teaching in the Latter Day of the Law which enables all people to
attain Buddhahood.
Nichiren taught that all of the benefits of the wisdom contained in the Lotus Sutra can be realized by chanting its title. Chanting these words and excerpts from the Lotus Sutra is the core of this Buddhist practice, supported by study and the propagation of teachings. Faith, practice and study are the basics of this Buddhist practice, pursuing daily activities for oneself and for the sake of others.
As Nichiren Buddhists, we chant Nam-myo-ho-renge-kyo.
Explained very simply this can be translated as:
Myo-ho – The Mystic Law, this
is nothing magical or forbidden, simply something not understood.
Renge – literally this means the lotus flower. The lotus exemplifies the law of cause and effect. The lotus is, historically, the only flower that blooms and seeds at the same time. In this way it is an example of the simultaneity of the law of cause and effect. Also, the lotus flower blooms most beautifully out of swampy water. This shows that no matter how difficult our present circumstances may be, we can always learn from them and create a better life.
Kyo – Sound or vibration, we
chant out loud to get in rhythm with the universe.
The purpose of this practice is fulfilling the potential every one of us has to live with courage. It’s human nature to want to have fulfilling relationships with our families, at work and in the world at large. We all want to have good health, prosperity and to feel and show true compassion for other people. Since it’s true that there is no separation between our environment, and us how can we be safe and happy unless our environment, including people, is also safe and happy.
One
way that Buddhism explains life is through a concept known as "the ten
worlds." These are ten states or conditions of life that we experience
within us and are then manifested throughout all aspects of our lives. Each of
us possesses the potential for all ten, and we shift from one to another at any
moment, according to our interaction with the environment. That is, at each
moment, one of the ten worlds is being manifested and the other nine are
dormant. From lowest to highest, they are:
Hell -- This is a state of suffering and despair, in which we perceive we have no freedom of action. It is characterized by the impulse to destroy ourselves and everything around us.
Hunger
-- Hunger is the state of being controlled by insatiable desire for money,
power, status, or whatever. While desires are inherent in any of the ten
worlds, in this state we are at the mercy of our cravings and cannot control
them.
Animality -- In this state, we are ruled by instinct. We exhibit neither reason
nor moral sense nor the ability to make long-range judgments. In the world of Animality, we operate by the law of the jungle, so to
speak. We will not hesitate to take advantage of those weaker than ourselves
and fawn on those who are stronger.
Anger
-- In this next state, awareness of ego emerges, but it is a selfish, greedy,
distorted ego, determined to best others at all costs and seeing everything as
a potential threat to itself. In this state we value only ourselves and tend to
hold others in contempt. We are strongly attached to the idea of our own
superiority and cannot bear to admit that anyone exceeds us in anything.
Humanity
(also called Tranquillity) -- This is a flat, passive
state of life, from which we can easily shift into the lower four worlds. While
we may generally behave in a humane fashion in this state, we are highly
vulnerable to strong external influences.
Heaven
(or Rapture) -- This is a state of intense joy stemming, for example, from the fulfillment
of some desire, a sense of physical well-being, or inner contentment. Though
intense, the joy experienced in this state is short-lived and also vulnerable
to external influences.
The
six states from Hell to Heaven are called the six paths or six lower worlds.
They have in common the fact that their emergence or disappearance is governed
by external circumstances. Take the example of a person obsessed by the desire
to find someone to love them (Hunger). When they at last meet that person, they
feel ecstatic and fulfilled (Heaven). By and by, potential rivals appear on the
scene, and they are seized by jealousy (Anger). Eventually, this possessiveness
drives the loved one away. Crushed by despair (Hell), they feel life is no
longer worth living. In this way, many of us spend time shuttling back and
forth among the six paths without ever realizing we are being controlled by our
reactions to the environment. Any happiness or satisfaction to be gained in
these states depends totally upon circumstances and is therefore transient and
subject to change.
In
these six lower worlds, we base our entire happiness, indeed our whole
identity, on externals.
The
next two states, Learning and Realization, come about when we recognize that
everything experienced in the six paths is impermanent, and we begin to seek
some lasting truth. These two states plus the next two, Bodhisattva and Buddhahood, are together called the four noble worlds.
Unlike the six paths, which are passive reactions to the environment, these four
higher states are achieved through deliberate effort.
Learning
-- In this state, we seek the truth through the teachings or experience of
others.
Realization
-- This state is similar to Learning, except that we seek the truth not through
others’ teachings but through our own direct perception of the world. The Greek
word “metanoya” explains this state. It is that state in which we say “aha”, now I
understand through my own awareness.
Learning
and Realization are together called the "two vehicles." Having
realized the impermanence of things, people in these states have won a measure
of independence and are no longer prisoner to their own reactions as they are
in the six paths. However, they often tend to be contemptuous of people in the
six paths who have not yet reached this understanding. In addition, their
search for truth is primarily self-oriented, so there is a great potential for
egotism in these two states; and they may become satisfied with their progress
without discovering the highest potential of human life in the ninth and tenth
worlds.
Bodhisattva
-- Bodhisattvas are those who aspire to achieve enlightenment and at the same
time are equally determined to enable all other beings to do the same.
Conscious of the bonds that link us to all others, in this state we realize
that any happiness we alone enjoy is incomplete, and we devote ourselves to
alleviating others’ suffering. Those in this state find their greatest
satisfaction in altruistic behavior.
The
states from Hell to Bodhisattva are collectively termed "the nine
worlds." This expression is often used in contrast to the tenth world, the
enlightened state of Buddhahood.
Buddhahood -- Buddhahood is a dynamic state that is
difficult to describe. We can partially describe it as a state of perfect
freedom, in which we are enlightened to the ultimate truth of life. It is
characterized by infinite compassion and boundless wisdom. In this state, we
can resolve harmoniously what appear from the standpoint of the nine worlds to
be insoluble contradictions. A Buddhist sutra describes the attributes of the
Buddha’s life as a true self, perfect freedom from karmic bonds throughout
eternity, a life purified of illusion, and absolute happiness. Also, the state
of Buddhahood is physically expressed in the
It is the inner transformation that we call “human revolution” that brings out our highest qualities, our enlightened self. We don’t become other people; we become the best we can be. As we achieve our self-improvement our circumstances will be enhanced.
Some sects of Buddhism call for the eradication of desires. But, it’s not the desires themselves that are the problem. They can be used to propel us into action and toward our own enlightenment. If we didn’t have any desires we wouldn’t have any reason to move forward and create value in our lives.
Buddhism doesn’t mean the elimination of all problems, either. Just like desires, problems are part of everyday life. They can’t be avoided, but they don’t have to cause us suffering. Everything depends on our attitude. Every human being has the potential and the power to overcome their problems and suffering. The key is to take total responsibility for our own lives. Not blaming others for our problems or looking to them for our happiness.
After undergoing years of persecution because of his
refuting of popularly held beliefs and his actions to save all people
throughout time Nichiren understood that the time was
right to fulfill the purpose of his advent.
On
This object is in the form of a scroll. It depicts, in Chinese characters, the law of Nam-myo-ho-renge-kyo and the life of Nichiren, as well as protective influences. Down the center are the characters Nam-myo-ho-renge-kyo and Nichiren’s signature. This indicates the oneness of Person and Law – that the condition of Buddhahood is a potential within and can be manifested by all people. SGI members enshrine a replica of the Gohonzon in their homes as a focal point for their daily practice. The Gohonzon’s power comes from the worshipper’s faith – it functions as a spiritual mirror. Sitting in front of the Gohonzon and chanting, a person is able to recognize and reveal his or her own Buddha nature, the creative essence of life.
Chanting Nam-myo-ho-renge-kyo in front of the Gohonzon is the essential practice. Study is also very important. The most important thing, though, is to take action based on the Buddha wisdom that wells up from within. It’s only by taking action that we can take control of our lives and not be controlled by the behavior of others around us. The idea is to live an active life where we make the choices, not simply to react to whatever is going on around us. That’s the key to absolute happiness and true freedom. That’s the key to establishing true peace. Not simply a period of time between wars.
Thank you