This pdf file may be printed and distributed according to the terms of use. A guide to the threefold lotus sutra rissho koseikai. Practicing the lotus sutra causes the sun to rise in our hearts. No matter how stormy our situation, when the sun blazes in the depths of our lives, a clear, bright sky like the blue. It represents the simultaneity of cause and effect. Centuries later, it was the starting and ending point for all nichiren daishonins teachings, and remains the profound foundation for the practice and study of nichiren.
The lotus sutra is regarded as one of the worlds great religious scriptures and most influential texts. A beautiful translation with deep love from a lay buddhist practitioner. This is the supporting practice of all nichiren buddhists and is performed together with the chanting of nammyohorengekyo. Spreading the wonders and joy of nichiren buddhism through articles, experiences, art, music, film, comedy and pop culture. The lotus sutra is one of the most popular and influential mahayana sutras, and the basis on. If we are to believe these dying words of the buddha, we must conclude that the lotus sutra is the only bright mirror we have, and that through it we can understand the heart of all the sutras. The heart of strategy and swordsmanship derives from the mystic law.
He brings out the heart of the lotus sutra while remaining relatively easy to follow and understand. For beginners to long time members, i hope this blog serves you well. Among these, one of the most widely influential has been the lotus sutra. Among ikedas writings on buddhism, that which deals most extensively and specifically with the lotus sutra is the sixvolume the wisdom of the lotus sutra series. Rengelotus flower, which blooms and seeds at the same time. As far as i know there are seven translations of the lotus sutra in english. This is the fundamental practice of nichiren buddhism. The daimoku of the lotus sutra wnd i nichiren buddhism. Gongyo translated the expedient means chapter the search. In nichiren daishonins buddhism, gongyo means to recite the expedient means or hoben 2nd chapter and the life span of the thus come one or juryo 16th chapter of the lotus sutra in front of the gohonzon. She founded a website lotus happiness to share her experience in the areas of buddhism, spirituality and selfactualization for the benefits and happiness of humanity. The lotus sutra is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential sutras, or sacred scriptures, of buddhism. From this perspective, it could be said that the lotus sutra predicted the appearance and actions of nichiren daishonin in the latter day. Always be determined to denounce slander against the correct teaching to the best of your ability.
Small 9cm x 14cm including an introduction, an explanation of gongyo and the silent prayers, together with an english translation of. This combination of the burton translation of the lotus sutra, and the commentaries of rev. Twice a day in the ceremony called gongyo, sgi members recite excerpts from the 2nd and 16th chapters of this great lotus sutra, translated here. Its a seminal work in the development of buddhism throughout east asia and, by extension. Shokai kanai, was my idea of making the actual sutra more readable and understandable. Discussion gosho the strategy of the lotus sutra in 1274, nichiren daishonin was pardoned and returned to kamakura from his exile on the island of sado. Studying such material can help us strengthen our understanding of and commitment to the law. Prophecy of enlightenment for five hundred disciples. The lotus sutra bucknell digital commons bucknell university. The title of the lotus sutra in its japanese translation is myohorengekyo.
This combination of the burton translation of the lotus sutra, and the commentaries of. In china and in japan, when one refers to the lotus sutra, it is generally kumarajivas translation of the year 406 ce that comes to mind. The spread of the essence of the lotus sutra, nammyohorengekyo, will bring about peace and happiness in the world. The clarity of reeves translation of the lotus sutra is very impressive. The supernatural powers of the buddhas, as you have seen, are immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable. Myoshinji is dedicated to the establishment of peace, harmony, and the enlightenment of society by helping guide people to the correct buddhist practice in order to understand the true nature of life, purify and transform our lives, and establish an unshakable happiness based on wisdom and. There are very few people who inquire about the meaning of the lotus sutra.
Sep 26, 2014 the sutra predicts that these three powerful enemies, intent on stopping the flow of kosenrufu, will attact those who uphold, practice and spread the lotus sutra. These are the parts of the lotus sutra that the sgi used to refer to as section a and section c of gongyo. I find that the translation by itself is sometimes difficult to read in context, and the. Buddhism and the lotus sutra daisaku ikeda website. It is a term from the lotus sutra that literally means to declare and spread widely shakyamuni buddha s injunction to his follow ers. At that time the buddha spoke to superior practices and the others in the great assembly of bodhisattvas, saying. The japanese word gongyo literally means assiduous practice.
A contemporary translation of a buddhist classic kindle edition by reeves, gene. Recite the sutra gongyo in this video, nichiren shoshu priests perform slow gongyo, the recitation of a portion of the 2nd and the entire 16th chapter of the lotus sutra. Aug 11, 2009 these are the parts of the lotus sutra that the sgi used to refer to as section a and section c of gongyo. In th century japan, not many people4 were able to read kanji, the chinese characters into which the lotus sutra was translated into from sanskrit. From the point of view of nichiren buddhism, the true aspect means gohonzon, to perceive means to have faith. Nichiren states, a sword is useless in the hands of a coward. Daimoku can last from as short as a few minutes to as long as a few hours or even more.
The first volume of the lotus sutra states, throughout incalculable, innumerable kalpas it is rare that one may hear this law. The sutra s 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. 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. Like the lotus flower we can bloom right where we are. The strategy of the lotus sutra employ the strategy of the lotus sutra before any other. The mighty sword of the lotus sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith. Of course, it would be impossible to translate all of the buddhas eighty. It is very easy to read thus far, and the verse sections are done quite nicely. This sutra is the basis of nichiren buddhism and daisaku ikedas philosophy. He was subsequently commissioned by the soka gakkai international sgi to do a translation of. On the hoben chapterpracticing the lotus sutra causes the sun to rise in our hearts. In this video, nichiren shoshu priests perform slow gongyo, the recitation of a portion of the 2nd and the entire 16th chapter of the lotus sutra. Myoshinji temple is a nichiren shoshu temple located in the san francisco bay area in pinole, california. But intellectual understanding without practice is of no use.
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. Shakyamunis teachings have been preserved in numerous collections called sutras. It was originally written more or less to be performed, to be chanted and brought to life by human voices, not perused from the luxury of our armchair. In another thread came up the question on which translation of the lotus sutra is the best. Before the bdk also translated the introductory sutra and the closing sutra of the threefold lotus sutra in the compilation tiantai lotus texts 20, the katorissho koseikai version was really valuable as the only translation of all three sutras to english. Gongyo project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. We chant this phrase repeatedly once in the morning, and once at night, along with the two chapters of the lotus sutra. Buddhahood is not an escape from these challenges but an inexhaustible source of positive energy to grapple with and transform the sufferings and contradictions of life and create happiness. Chanting daimoku, nammyohorengekyo, is termed the primary practice and reading or reciting the hoben and juryo chapters is called the supplementary practice. Kumarajivas version of the lotus sutra as the basic text, rather than the taisho edition. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Of course, it would be impossible to translate all of the buddhas eighty four thousand teachings in a.
The lotus sutra says that one should perceive the true aspects by sitting straight sutra on how to practice meditation on the bodhisattva universal worthy. For new buddhists, following along with the priest when you are learning to chant is the very best. The sutra predicts that these three powerful enemies, intent on stopping the flow of kosenrufu, will attact those who uphold, practice and spread the lotus sutra. Nichiren often uses the words lotus sutra in his writings to designate nam myoho renge kyo, the law that he defines as the essence of the lotus sutra. The lotus sutra is a teaching that encourages an active engagement with mundane life and all its challenges. Oct 25, 2008 translation of gongyo, the liturgy of nichiren daishonin two and a half thousand years ago, towards the end of his life, the buddha shakyamuni expounded the lotus sutra.
You will need to use a liturgy of nichiren shoshugongyo book. Within the buddhist canon, the lotus sutra is one text that should be read. Chanting nammyohorengekyo is the primary practice of sgi members. Small 9cm x 14cm including an introduction, an explanation of gongyo and the silent prayers, together with an english translation of the excerpts from the lotus sutra recited during gongyo. See more ideas about lotus sutra, lotus and buddhism. Myoshinji is dedicated to the establishment of peace, harmony, and the enlightenment of society by helping guide people to the correct buddhist practice in order to understand the true nature of life, purify and transform our lives, and establish an unshakable happiness based on. Chanting lotus sutra chant nam myoho renge kyo mantra benefits. Once upon a time the lord was staying at rajagriha, on the gridhrakuta mountain, with a numerous assemblage of monks, twelve hundred monks, all of them arhats, stainless, free from depravity, selfcontrolled, thoroughly. The structure and content of the avaivartikacakra sutra and its relation to the lotus sutra pdf, bulletin of. Within the buddhist canon, the lotus sutra is one text that should be read as a whole.
Oct 08, 2010 sgi is the cult version of true buddhism. Gongyo liturgy the key to bring out our kindness and. With very few exceptions the readings in these two editions are almost exactly the same in meaning, and the differences are too slight to have any sig nificant effect on the translation. In this excerpt, sgi president daisaku ikeda explains the practice of chanting nammyohorengekyo and reciting portions of the lotus sutra.
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. One of the first things that stuck me was that this was done by someone who deeply thought and meditated on the meaning of the text. In it, shakyamuni expounds the ultimate truth of life to which he was enlightened. Burton watson translates a passage from chapter 21 of the lotus sutra as follows. These were published in 2016 and all contain the revised prayers. This is the fundamental practice of nichiren buddhism, which is performed morning and evening. Myoho renge kyo was first derived in chinese, as the title of the enlighten lotus sutra the ultimate teaching preached in india 2,500 years ago by siddharta gautama buddha, also known as shakyamuni, in the 5th century. Three translations of a passage from the lotus sutra. Daimoku is the constant repetition of the sacred mantra for a period of time. Lectures on the hoben and juryo chapters of the lotus sutra by sgi president daisaku ikeda. Other languages do not have the poetic brevity of chinese to express so much, in so few words. But to nichiren, myohorengekyo was far more than the title of a buddhist text, it was the expression, in words, of the law of life which all buddhist teachings in one way. Translations of the lotus sutra mon aug 18, 2014 3. Both chapters are recited in chinese, so unless you are fluent, the meaning may be lost.
The lotus sutra reads, if one can ask about its meaning, that will be difficult indeed. On the other hand, because he lived in exact accord with its teachings, he was able to prove that the lotus sutra and the words of. Since its appearance in china in the 3rd centruy, the lotus sutra has been regarded as one of the most illustrious scriptures in the mahayana buddhist canon. All others who bear you enmity or malice will likewise be wiped out. It is one of the worlds great wisdom texts but that doesnt mean it is an easy read. Introducing the practice sgi, gohonzon, nammyohorengekyo compassion in action, p. Saddhama pundarika sutra, the discourse on the white. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the lotus sutra. In this work, ikeda, in dialogue with members of the sgis study department, explores the relevance of the sutra to todays world and unpacks its profound principles from the. Lotus sutra kumarajiva translation kern translation.
The lotus sutra translated by burton watson including rev. No matter how stormy our situation, when the sun blazes in the depths of our lives, a clear, bright sky like the blue sky of may opens in our hearts. Their president started making up his own rules and was excommunicated, he then stole a gohonzon and altered some characters, made xerox copies and the whole sgi foundation has gone totally left field of what the pure core practice is, straying from the priesthood which was started by nichiren daishonin. The lotus sutra is considered by all philosophers as a crucial piece in understanding buddhist philosophy and its unique and almost poetic structure is beautifully translated by watson in a distinct way that it can be easily understood yet still greatly appreciated by both beginners and adept readers in mahayana buddhist texts. Chanting daimoku, nammyohorengekyo, is termed the primary practice and reading or reciting the hoben and juryo chapters is called the supplementary.
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