For lotus sutra chapter 16 part 2 of 3, please see below link. The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life is found in only one place, hidden in the depths of the life span chapter of the essential teaching of the lotus sutra. But the lotus sutra is so much more understandable and emphatic in the contemporary translations by the numata center kubo and. Audio files and videos for learning gongyo for new sgi members are available in the beginners resources section of this site. Its head temple taisekiji, is located on the lower. Words and phrases, volume ten, says, the sutra as a whole is summed up in these four phrases. The lotus sutra more than any other work is responsible for the distinctiveness of east asian buddhism. Chapter 21 jinrikihon whole or from shobukkusesha or. Each individual human life is a microcosm of the life of the universe. The section of chapter 16 that is mostly frequently recited is known as the jigage. As for the lotus sutra, one may recite the entire sutra of twentyeight chapters in. The essence of chapter 2 begins in section 4, from paragraph 4. Below is a howtodo guide for gongyo practice as well as slow audio recordings of. The japanese word gongyo literally means assiduous practice.
The merit and virtue of a dharma master at that time the buddha told the bodhisattva mahasattva evervigorous, if a good man or a good woman receives and upholds the dharma flower sutra, whether reading it, reciting it, explaining it to others, or writing it out, that person will obtain eight hundred. All others who bear you enmity or malice will likewise be wiped out. The strategy of the lotus sutra employ the strategy of the lotus sutra before any other. Gongyo is to recite the lotus sutra and chant daimoku in front of the gohonzon. The practitioners of nichiren shoshu have been carrying out the practice of gongyo since the time of nichiren daishonin and nikko shonin. The record of the orally transmitted teachings says. Buddhist liturgy is a formalized service of veneration and worship performed within a buddhist.
Once again he told the great assembly, you should believe and understand the sincere and truthful words of the. To accept, uphold, read, recite, take delight in, and protect all the eight volumes and twentyeight chapters of the lotus sutra is called the comprehensive practice. Le migliori 145 immagini su lotus sutra fiore di loto. I want to truly understand the backbone behind the religion i follow. However, most historians believe the sutra was written in the 1st or 2nd century ce, probably by more than one writer.
There is additional form of gongyo performed by nichiren shu practitioners at homes and in temples in which the entire lotus sutra is recited. Buddhist liturgy news newspapers books scholar jstor. Mixing the worship of statues and images, shinto, hinayana or theravada practices with the buddhism of the lotus sutra, part 2 of 3. The traditional chinese buddhist liturgy for morning chanting simplified chinese. Note that some of the portion of this video is missing voice. Rejoicing in accord with merit and virtue chapter 19. Frontispiece of the devadatta chapter scroll ch 12 of the lotus sutra in the heike nokyo, a century set of sutra scrolls. The first prose section of chapter 2, skillful means in japanese the second. This means that of all the myriad phenomena and the three thousand realms, there are none that are not part of the expedient means of myohorengekyo. Good men, you must believe and understand the truthful words of the thus come one. Gongyo are a series of prayers that include the recitation of 2nd and 16th chapter of the lotus sutra along with chanting nammyohorengekyo, is conducted twice daily.
It also is the very sutra that fulfilled the ultimate purpose of his advent in this world. I was a member of sgi back in the mid1980s when it was still a lay organization connected to nichiren shoshu. It is a matter of faith in some schools of buddhism that the sutra contains the words of the historical buddha. As he is important to this chapter, it may be worthwhile learning more about devadatta, so that the contrast between his typical depiction, and his depiction here, may be made more stark, as it would have been to those who first heard this sutra. The two most important teachings found in the lotus sutra are both contained in chapter 16. After the meiji restoration, it was given its own name, nichiren shoshu, in 1912. For many aeons, i was a king and vowed to seek supreme bodhi with an unretreating mind. He was converted by the buddha after the buddha returned to kapilavastu, along with ananda. This is part 1 of 3 of chapter 16 of lotus sutra chinese version. The concept of gongyo is also common in japanese pure land buddhist. The liturgy of nichiren daishonin the portions of the expedient means and life span chapters of the lotus sutra recited in the practice of gongyo. The layout of the book is attractive, and the typeface is extremely readable.
In it, shakyamuni expounds the ultimate truth of life to which he was enlightened. The hokekyo lotus sutra not merely represents all the teachings of shakyamuni which were revealed for the period of fifty years since he had attained enlightenment. Shakyamuni enters samadhi early in introduction, the first chapter of the lotus sutra, and continues meditating throughout it. The daimoku of the lotus sutra wnd i nichiren buddhism. A critical study of taoshengs commentary on the lotus sutra chapter 6. The sutras name in sanskrit is maha saddharmapundarika sutra, or great sutra of the lotus of the wonderful law. Overall, burton watsons translation is a good, nonoffensive goto edition pretty easily found in print. Ultimately, now that we have entered the latter day of the law, those who practice the way are the votaries of the lotus sutra, while those who do not are the slanderers of the law.
Such admiration for the mystic law is the essential reason we recite the sutra during morning and evening gongyo. The best book on nichiren shoshu is the doctrines and practice of nichiren. For nichiren schools of buddhism nichiren shu, nichiren shoshu, soka. The daishonin refers here to the principle of continual propagation to the. For convenience, the sutra book is divided into four sections. The lotus sutra has essentially defined east asian buddhism with its imagery, devotional passages, and ideas regarding equality between men and women as well as enlightenment for all beings. The recitation of the expedient means and life span chapters. Lecture on the sutra hoben and juryo chapters by josei toda. This is the fundamental practice of nichiren buddhism, which is performed morning and evening. To accept, uphold, and protect the expedient means chapter and the life span chapter is called the abbreviated practice. Shakyamuni buddha has just presented the teaching on skillful means and made a general prediction that all would become buddhas in the future. The merit and virtue of a dharma master chapter 20. He taught that our existence is identical to the universe as a whole and the universe as a whole is identical to our existence. Recitation of the lotus sutra can be performed in shindoku or ones own preferred language.
Our gongyo book contains the words needed to recite the chapters from the lotus sutra and also guidelines for the prayers, and it mentions that the wording of the prayers is. From the orally transmitted teachings, chapter 16 life span, p. Mixing the worship of statues and images, shinto, hinayana or theravada practices with the buddhism of the lotus sutra, part 2 of 3 showing 11 of 1 messages. In the practice of nichiren buddhism it means reciting nammyohorengekyo, and portions of the second chapter expedient means and the sixteenth life span chapters of the lotus sutra in front of the gohonzon. The five hundred disciples receive their predictions 9 chapter ix. Taoshengs influence and the impact of his doctrines part ii. On the lifetime chapter of the lotus sutra buddhism from. The lotus sutra chapter three parable the scene and action of chapter 3, parable, continues from the conclusion of the previous chapter. City of 10,000 buddhas the wonderful dharma lotus flower. In the nichiren shu there are several portions of the lotus sutra that can be recited.
The nook book ebook of the the heart of the lotus sutra. Every morning and evening we recite the sutra either at the temple or in front of the altar at our home. The lotus sutra book by gautama buddha thriftbooks. Means and the sixteenth life span chapters of the lotus sutra in front of the gohonzon. At that time the buddha spoke to the bodhisattvas and all the great assembly. Now when the buddha emits this beam of brightness he is helping to reveal the meaning of the true entity of phenomena. The title of this chapter has been translated in various ways by different writers, some of which are faith discernment, belief and understanding and willing acceptance.
A group devoted to the five practices of the central mahayana sutra, the wonderful dharma lotus flower sutra. Gongyo practice myosetsuji temple nichiren shoshu buddhism. The sutra of the lotus flower of the wonderful law chapter 1 introductory chapter 2 tactfulness 15 chapter 3 a parable 18 chapter 4 faith. The lotus sutra is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential sutras, or sacred scriptures, of buddhism. We recite the sutra and chant nammyohorengekyo, the uni. What are the differences between nichirens texts and. Whats being evaluated here is the translation and presentation of the work. We recite the first part of the hoben expedient means2nd chapter and the entire juryo life span16th. The signs now are like those of the earlier auspicious portent, this is an expedient means used by the buddhas. What parts of the lotus sutra are recited as gongyo in nichiren. The wonderful dharma lotus flower sutra chapter 16 the narration is done based on the sutra text published by btts 1998, city of 10,000 buddhas this is a v. Here is one of the parables that appears in the fourteenth, or practice for a happy and secure life anrakugyo chapter of.
The lotus sutra translated by burton watson chapter sixteen. Table of contents contents table of contents preface 2 4 part one. Though no chapter of the lotus sutra is negligible. Gongyo project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. The sutra of innumerable meanings background 6 6 chapter 1 virtues 7 chapter 2 preaching 9 chapter 3 ten merits 11 part two. The lotus sutra chapter three parable celestial drum.
During gongyo, apart from chanting nam myoho renge kyo, we also recite two chapters from the lotus sutra, chapter 2 expedient means hoben and chapter 16 the life span of the thus come one juryo. All five prayers are offered in the morning, and the second, third and fifth prayers are recited in the evening. Chapter sixteen the thus come ones life span at that time the buddha spoke to the bodhisattvas and the entire great assembly, saying, good men, you should believe and understand the sincere and truthful words of the thus come one. Women were accordingly prohibited from taking part in religious ceremonies. The sutra as a whole refers to the twentyeight chapters of the lotus sutra, the essential teaching and the theoretical teaching. The lifetime chapter of the lotus sutra is the second part of gongyo, as defined by nichiren daishonin.
Kerns translation of the lotus sutra is interesting, hence the 4star rating. I found the glossary in the back helpful to understand some of the buddhist jargon both english and sanskrit used in the translation. Since the chapter is entitled myohorengekyo hobenbon, the lotus sutra of the wonderful law, expedient means chapter, this indicates that delusion and enlightenment are not two different things. All the twentyeight chapters of the lotus sutra are nam. Unfortunately, the lotus sutra is one of the most challenging buddhist. You ask if you should simply read each chapter in turn, as you were originally doing. I left because of the arrogance, intolerance, antiintellectualism, sectarianism, and dogmatism displayed by the leadership and stemming. Nichiren lived over 800 years ago, and the language or style of his letters were of course relevant to that period of time, but their essence is unchanging because nichirens writings are based on the lotus sutra, which message of humanism and re. While everyone is different, to me chanting is just part of the picture. According to taoshengs commentary, while chapter 2 introduces the concept of skilful means, since people are of different capacities, some understanding right away and others requiring a further explanation in order to grasp it, the buddha proceeded to employ a parable to clarify the notion of skilful means.
This is the fundamental practice of nichiren buddhism. The sutras key message is that buddhahood, the supreme state of life characterized by boundless compassion, wisdom and courage, is inherent within every person without distinction of. Life of the tathagata, to be one of the four most important chapters of the lotus sutra. The gongyo of shingon buddhism differs amongst various subsects, but all of. The portions of the expedient means and life span chapters of the lotus sutra recited in the practice of gongyo. Full text of the wisdom of the lotus sutra chapter sixteen see other formats. In the practice of nichiren buddhism it means reciting nammyohorengekyo, and portions of the. Full text of the wisdom of the lotus sutra chapter sixteen. Liturgy of nichiren shoshu part of the 2nd and entire 16th chapters of the lotus sutra and. The heart of strategy and swordsmanship derives from the mystic law.
The following is study material for the weekly soka spirit chanting sessions being held. All are aiming at a similar central idea, but each approaches it with a slightly different emphasis. Therefore, for your regular recitation, i recommend that you practice reading. The wonderful dharma lotus flower sutra chapter 16 the narration is done based on the sutra text published by btts 1998, city of 10,000 buddhas this is a voluntary work done with the great wish. Soka gakkai international is a worldwide society for the creation of value founded upon the buddhism of nichiren daishonin. Its original name is nichiren school shu of the fuji area, branch of taisekiji temple, indicating the general naming of sects at the time, though not united, and then divided in different localized traditions.