Power of Threes; Benefits of Nichiren Buddhism

From time time to time, Nichiren Buddhists quarrel over the correct way to display the Gohonzon. That is a topic I intend to address in the near future at Gongyo on Line. A more important matter is the qualities that the Gohonzon, whatever the format, is intended to represent. These qualities of the Gohonzon are what we are trying to elicit and / or cultivate in ourselves. Without the benefits of practice, the Gohonzon is just a piece of paper or collection of art objects. From what I can gather, based on my study of Buddhism, the benefits of Buddhism fall into three general categories. These are expressed by a sino-japanese term that is often translated as benefits; 功徳利 {kudokuri}. Here is a look at these:

功 {ku}: Note that this is a homophone of another Buddhist term that means Emptiness. This is a completely different word. The original Sanskrit word for this 功 {ku} is punya, which means merit. Punya or merits refer primarily to positive mental qualities that create good karma. Another word for merit is 福 {fuku}; which also translates as good fortune. Merits are good qualities that must be cultivated; good fortune is earned. There are many merits; qualities such as kindness, compassion, tolerance, renunciation, generosity, wisdom, and so on. The opposites of punya are bad qualities called klesha 煩悩 {bonno}. These are mental qualities like hatred, intolerance, indulgence, envy, and so on.

The merits of Buddhism are represented on the Mandala Gohonzon by the Bodhisattvas, such as Manjushri (who represents discerning wisdom), located in the second row. There is also a Buddhist Principle called Kleshas = Bodhi 煩悩即菩提 {bonno soku bodai}; represented on the Mandala Gohonzon by Ragaraja 愛染明王 {Aizen Myo'o}; the Vidyaraja or Wisdom King of craving desires. This indicates that, through practice, our kleshas are gradually transformed into merits. Another thing to add is that merits create good karma in the three standard ways; through thoughts or intentions, through speech or words, and by bodily actions or deeds. Buddhism stresses that the qualities of mind or intentions are paramount. However. we should keep in mind that ignorance; as well as unconsciously conditioned negative motives, are still deemed intentions; even though we might not see them as consciously intentional. As such, we must practice spiritual introspection or vipassana 観心 {kanjin} to understand our real intention.

徳 {toku; doku}: The Sanskrit term for this is Guna; which means Virtues; the qualities of a Saint or Sage. Virtues are innate attributes that we all possess. However, they become obscured by our conditioning. There are four primary virtues associated with Nichiren Buddhism. These are represented on the Nichiren Mandala by the Four Leaders of the Bodhisattvas from Underground. By the way, my take is that a controversial term, Original Enlightenment or Innate Awakening 本覚 {hongaku}, refers to the presence of these attributes as functions of our Ninth Consciousness. One of the reasons we chant in front of the Mandala or other Gohonzon is to elicit these virtues; so that they emerge from the underground of our lives.

One more principle to mention here is that of Samsara = Nirvana 生死即涅槃 {shoji soku nehan}. Shoji soku nehan} is represented on Nichiren's Great Mandala by the Vidya King Achalanatha 不動明王 {fudo myo'o}. The concept means that the innate virtues do not emerge in a vacuum, or in some transcendental pure land; the process takes place amidst the struggles of mundane daily living. Samsara refers to the karmic cycle of birth and death; while Nirvana means an unbinding from that cycle. Some might conceive of Nirvana as totally empty or without attributes. However, in Nichiren Buddhism there is a positive affirmation of virtuous attributes.

利 {ri}: The Sanskrit for this are paṭu, tīkṣṇa; which can profitable, beneficial; gain, advantag e, among other things. Other words for this would include 義 {gi}. and 益 {yaku}. Possibly; artha 事 {ji} (practical affair or matter) and shak 能 {no} (skill or ability). It should also be mentioned that there is 冥益 {myoyaku} or inconspicuous gain and conspicuous gain 顕 益 {kenyaku}. The former appears to mean the fruit of efforts that has not yet been actualized. For example, s student is acquiring skills or inconspicuous gain; which can later be used to acquire wealth or conspicuous gain. Similarly, by chanting now, we are making causes that will result in attaining a more obvious Buddhahood in the future.

Gain can also be compared to jewels or treasures. According to Nichiren Shonin, there are three kinds of valuables or treasure. These are treasures of the storehouse; like money and other property; treasures of the body; like physical strength, manual skills, and good health; and Treasures of the Heart-Mind or Citta 心 {shin}. All of these are important, but the last one is most important. Kito 祈祷 chanting or offering prayers for material wealth and good health are good and better; while kanjin 観心 chanting or spiritual introspection is the best.

Dukkha and Satisfaction

Dukkha is a Buddhist term that can be translated as suffering, stressful, unsatisfying, or frustrating. The Buddha said, "Sabbe sankhara dukkha." That translates as, "All compounded or conditioned [phenomena] is suffering, stressful, unsatisfying, frustrating."
It is sort of like the old Rolling Stones song, 'I can't get no satisfaction.' The Buddha explained why we can not get any lasting satisfaction. It is because we are "looking for love [satisfaction] in all the wrong places." The Buddha taught four reasons why we wind up frustrated. These are are know as cattaro vipallasa {viparyasa} or 四 顚倒 {shi tendo}; the four inverted views or hallucinations.

• Mistaking or seeking subha 浄 wholesomeness, fortune. purity, attractiveness, desirability}; for or in that which is asubha 不淨 or 惡露 {impure, spiritually ugly, unwholesome, unfortunate}.
• Seeking sukha 樂 {bliss}; in that which is dukkha 苦 or 苦惱 {unsatisfying}.
• Searching for or expecting nicca / niyta 常 {constancy, continuity, eternity}; in that which is anicca / anitya 無常 {inconstant, temporal}.
• Identifying atta / atman 我 {an abiding self}; in that which is anatta / anatman 無我{conditional ego}.

You might recognize that the last three are the three marks of existence. "Sabbe sankhara anicca. Sabbe sankhara dukkha. Sabbe dhamma anatta." All conditioned existence is inconstant. All conditioned existence is suffering. All phenomena have no abiding self. To these is added asubha {unwholesome, inner ugliness, unfortunate, inauspecious}; which is related to ashuddha {impurity}.
The Buddha also said,"Sabbe sankhara dukkha ti yada pannaya passati atha nibbindati dukkhe esa maggo vishuddhiya." That translates as something like, "All conditioned existence is unsatisfying. When one acquires the skills of discernment and insight, then one grows weary of frustration, and seeks the path of purification." Buddhism teaches that there is a cessation of dukkha. "You can't always get what you want; but if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need." You might also notice that the reverse of the cattaro vipallasa are the four innate innate virtues; known as 四徳 Shitoku:

• Subha 浄 (jo) {pure} or 清浄 (shojo) {purified} or 遍淨 (henjo) {pervasive purity}: Wholesome purity, inner beauty, innocence; actual desirability, appeal, attractiveness, good fortune. [note that shuddha 浄 pure, 遍淨 pervasive purity, and vishuddha 清浄 purification are conflated with subha or inner beauty].
• Sukha 樂 (raku) {comfort}: Sublime Bliss, spontaneous or stable joy, independent of circumstances. Note that sukha, as one of three kinds of vedana {sensation or feeling}, is the opposite of dukkha. The third kind is neutral.
• Nitya 常 (jo) or 常住 (joju) {constant} or 無辺 (muhen) {boundless, no end} or 無量 (muryo) {immeasurable}: Actual perception of constancy, continuity, permanence, timelessness, eternity, infinitude.
• Atman 我 (?) {mine; self}: Authentic identity; which is a selfless, higher self.

Perhaps you also noticed that these relate to the Four Bodhisattvas 四菩蓮 (shi bosatsu) who attend the Eternal Shakyamuni; and also satipatthana or the four frameworks of sati. smrti, 憶念, or mindfulness.

The Concept of Channeling Monjushiri Bosatsu

The Heart Mantra of Manjusri, Om Ah Ra Pa Tsa Na Dhih, is the most recent mantra / dharani / chant I have added to my repertoire; and other than Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, the one I use most often. By the time I got to this one, I had pretty much gotten over my phobias and superstitions about mixing practices. For a brief discussion, please see my earlier entry at Fraught with Peril, Manjushiri Mantra. As I noted there, Manjushri 文殊師利 {wenshushili, monjushiri} is considered the Mahasattva Bodhisattva of Wisdom.

Note that there are three primary Buddhist terms translated as Wisdom. Of these, Monju is most commonly associated with Panna / Prajna 慧 {hui / e} or 般若 {hannya}. The others are Viija / Vidya 明 {ming, myo}; which refers to objective wisdom / knowledge, science, or the object of study; and Jnana / Gnosis 智; which means subjective wisdom / knowledge, or understanding. Pra means leading to and is similar to the prefix pro, while jna means to know or comprehend, like the Greek gno / gni / gna in words like gnosis, cognition, prognosis, diagnosis, cognate, and so on.

So prajna means the the skill of discernment; that which leads to knowing. I take this as 'critical thinking;' the acquired ability to reason and think clearly; to discriminate or distinguish one object from another, to generalize or see commonalities, to employ deductive or inductive logic, to avoid the traps of logical fallacies, to remain objective or impartial, to accurately comprehend what one is reading, and so on. On a deeper level, prajna can also mean intuition or insight; the ability to perceive Emptiness (sunatta / shunyata 空 {kong, ku}) and Immediacy or Timelessness {akaliko / akalika 無時 {wushih, muji}}.

In Mahayana Buddhism, the Mahasattva Bodhisattvas are sort of like Patron Saints in Chistianity; each has their specialty. In East Asian Buddhism, Manjushri, representing prajna, is one of four primary Mahasattva Bodhisattvas. The other three are Samantabhadra 普賢 {puxian, fugen}; who represents Ethics or Morality {Sila} and Merits {punya}; Kshitigharba 地藏 {Jizo}; who represents Vows and Forbearing Patience {Kshanti}, and Avalalokiteshvara 観世音 {kuanshiyin, kanzeon}; who represents heart felt compassion. In the Nichiren context, Monju and Samantabhadra Fugen are among four Trace Gate 迹門 {shakumon} Bodhisattvas from the Lotus Sutra. The others are Bhaishajyaraja 薬王 {yakuo}; who represents healing, and Maitreya 弥勒 {miroku}; the Coming Samyaksambuddha who represents kindness {Metta / Maitri}.

I take the Trace Gate Bodhisattvas as personifications of merits (Punya {功德 {kungte, kudoku} or 功祚 {kuso}) and skills {attha/artha} that must be cultivated, earned, and acquired. Each of the four can be connected one of the first four skandhas, one the four inverted views (vipallasa / viparyasa 顚倒}, and one of the four frameworks of mindfulness. In terms of the Five Skandas, Monju relates to the third, or samjna skandha 想蘊 {so un}. Samjna is variously translated as conception, ideation, cognate, cognition, recognition, or perceptions. Sam means something like bring together or integrate, roughly the same as the prefixes co/com/con. Jna is the same as in prajna and jnana, so cognate or cognition would be literal.

Distortions of recognition lead to the third vipallasa or derangement / inverted view 蓮倒 {tendo} of perceiving nicca / niyta 常住 {joju} 常 {jo}(constancy, continuity, eternity); in that which is anicca / anitya 無常 {mujo} {inconstant, temporal}. This is corrected by practicing the third framework of mindfulness; cittanupassana or cittasati satipatthana / citta-smrtiupasthana 心念住 {shin nenju} or 心念處 {shin nencho}: mindfulness and contemplation of mental qualities and spirituality.

In this connection, "channeling" Manjushri can be seen as means of practicing mindfulness of citta 心 {shin} to correct distortions of cognition. Just as there are three nuances of wisdom; there are three meanings of ignorance. There is Avidya 無明 {mumyo (not light)} or 冥 {myo (dark)}; which is ignorance is the sense of nescience, misinformation, or an absence of information. Then there is ajnana or moha 迷 {myo (perplexion)} or 過 {ka (going over one's head)}; which is mental confusion, bewilderment, or lack of comprehension, and mudhi 癡 {chi (foolishness)} or 愚癡 {guchi (stupid)}; which is stupidity or lack of discerning skills. Cultivating prajna leads to jnana; which helps one discern vidya from misinformation. The Manjusri 'channeling' practice consists of meditative postures / gestures {ashana & mudra}, the Manjushiri mantra, and a meditative visualization. Due to length, I shall discuss methods in another entry. That shall appear soon at Gongyo on Line.

One more thing, I also see Manjushiri as a / the Trace Gate parallel of the Source Gate Mahasattva Bodhisattva Anantacaritra 無辺行 {muhengyo} who represents the innate virtue {guna} of Constancy Nitya 常住 {joju}. So Monju would be like a sketch, imprint, trace, conception, or perception; and gradual achievement of Emptiness / Timelessness; Muhengyo is its perpetual reality..

Power of Threes: Trikarma Part One; Is it the Thought that Counts?

Power of Threes: Trikarma 三業; How Karma is Created. I: Intentions 意業

Even those who have been Buddhist for many years might harbor some misconceptions about Karma. Most Buddhists realize that Karma does not mean fate or preordained destiny; there is causality involved, and we are in charge of that. However, karma is not at all the whole of causality. Karma only refers to volitional causation. There are other, non-volitional causal processes going on; both in our bodies and out there, in the environment. Moreover, karma does not mean "cause and effect." It refers only to the cause. There is another Buddhist term for the fruits or effects of volitional causation.

Buddhism teaches that there are three ways we create new karma; tri-karman 三業 {sangyo}. These are intention or thought, speech or words, and action or deeds. Buddhism appears to rank them, in degree of importance, as Intention > Speech > Deeds. Of these, the Prime Mover, intention, is called mental karma or manokarma 意業 {igo}; causes generated by the mind; by our thoughts, emotions, and desires. It looks like other terms for this include cetanakarma 思業 {shigo} and samskara-karma 行業 {gyogo}.

Here are some concepts related to intention:

• Manas 意 {i} = thought, voluntary or purposeful mental activity in general; including complex emotions and desires.
• Sankhara / Samskara 行 {gyo} = habituation, determinants, motivators, conditioning, formations, impulses. In this context, these are mental.
• Cetana 思 {shi} = intention, volition, reason, purpose.
• Vitakka / Vitarka 尋伺 {じんし jinshi} = directed attention or controlled inquiry; focusing the mind on an object. A factor of dhyana / jhana absorption.
• Samkappa / Samkalpa 思惟 {shitada} = Reflection, aspiration. {8-fold Path}
• Vikappa / Vikappa 分別 {funbetsu} = Sort out, differentiate.
• Adhitthana / Adhisthāna 加持 {kaji} = Definiteness of purpose, resolution, one of the Ten Paramis. As a psychic power: 住持力 {ju ji riki} 住在{juzai},

There is an old saying or proverb, the origins of which are known to date back at least 430 years, 'The road to heck is paved with good intentions.' I suspect that this reflects the modern meme or zeitgeist of western pragmatism. It is not just that we are doers, not thinkers, we place a premium on results. This takes on what is both an anti-intellectual and amoral bent; thinking and good moral intentions are often disparaged.

The idea that motive is primary in moral responsibility is becoming counter intuitive, even in law. More and more, we want someone to blame; to be held accountable, for anything that goes wrong. For example, traditionally, motive was considered the primary element in determining the severity of the crime of homicide. Killing in self defense, or in defense of another, was not even a crime. Now, we argue over the immediacy of the threat and necessary degree of force. In the past, accidentally causing a death incurred civil liability, but general not criminal charges. This is shifting toward more emphasis on the outcome, the effect on the victim. Some acts of negligence, that involve no intent to harm, are now considered murder.

There is another old saying, "It is the thought the counts." Buddhism appears to take this view, that intention is the most important element of morality, and strongest determiner of karmic merit. This principle is illustrated by the Ashokan myth concerning a mud pie. A poor child sees the Buddha. The child had nothing to give the Buddha, so he fashioned a mud pie as an offering, Even though the gift had no material value, the child's pure wholesome intention created sufficient merit to become a great king in a future life.

Power of Fours; Qualities of Bondage and Unbinding

Four Qualities of Bondage:

• jatam 生 {sho}: born
• bhutam 起 {ki}: Arisen, Originated, become, come into being.
• katam 作 {sa} 造 {zo}: created, fabricated, made
• sankhatam 爲 {i} or 行 {gyo}: Compounded, conditioned

Four Qualities of Unbinding.

• ajatam 不生 {fusho} 無生 {musho}: unborn.
  
• abhutam 無起 {muki}: non-arisen,
  
• akatam 無作 {musa} 無造 {muzo}: uncreated, un-fabricated,
  
• asankhatam 無爲 {mui}, or 不作行{fusagyo}, or 無行 {mugyo}: Uncompounded, unconditioned.

These concepts are found in the third Nibbana Sutta {Tatiyanibbanasuttam} of the Udana or "Book of Exclamations;" the third book of the Khuddaka Nikaya {Minor Collection}. Chapter 8 of the Udana; the Patali Village Chapter, includes 4 short Nibbana Suttas; which describe the nature of unbinding.

rough transliteration: Atthi bhikkhave ajatam abhatam akataü asamkhatam. No ce tam bhikkhave abhavissa ajatam bhatam akatam asamkhatam, na-y-idha jatassa bhatassa katassa samkhatassa nissaranam passayetha. Yasma ca kho bhikkhave atthi ajatam bhatam akatam asamkhatam, tasmà jatassa bhatassa katassa samkhatassa nissaranam passayata.

rough interpretive translation: There is, oh monks [and nuns], an unborn, a non-arisen, an un-fabricated, an un-compounded or unconditioned. If there were not an unborn, a non-arisen, an un-fabricated, an unconditioned, then there would be no basis to discern or intuit emancipation from that which is born, arisen, fabricated, and conditioned. However, since there is a an unborn, a non-arisen, an un-fabricated, an un-compounded or unconditioned; there is a basis whereby emancipation from that which is born, arisen, fabricated, and conditioned is intuited.

One intepretation is that this refutes nihilistic or annihilationist understandings of nirvana, or unbinding. Dharmajim has explained this in terms of awakening to something; in contrast with awakening from delusion. We are waking up to something or other; which is described by the Buddha as unborn, non-arisen, un-fabricated, and unconditioned. While the Buddha is using negative terms, he might be pointing to an experience that has some kind of numinous attributes or qualities. When I first read this, I could not help but think of the four inherent virtues of the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra.

I also drew a parallel between these four qualities and the first four skandhas; those of form, sensation / feelings, recognition / perception, and volition / habituation. Moreover, in the the Anguttara Nikaya, Book of Ones, the Luminosity {Pabhassara} Sutta we find a possible reference to Amala, a purification of Consciousness, the Fifth Skandha. That Sutta seems to tell us that our consciousness is originally pure, it became defiled through contact, and that through practice, that original luminosity can be restored.

Normally, one might think of the unbinding of nibbana / nirvana as being a dissolution of the five skandhas. Perhaps we could, instead, think in terms of purifying these five skandhas. Then, perhaps, when we are fully awakened, we shall have a luminous or illuminated consciousness; supporting an unborn form, a feeling that is non-arisen and not a reaction to sensation, a mental perception or conception that is not an abstract fabrication, and mental conditioning or formations that are not conditioned? In the next entry, we shall look at another, related, set of fours.

More from BuddhaJones "Diary"

I get overwhelmed all the time. So, I just say "not yet." It is not necessary to dismiss that which we are unable to understand -- that is sour grapes. With time, study, chanting, concentration, and reflection; insight arises; it actually becomes possible to understand what presently seems impossible to grasp.

It is not so much the jargon, but what it means, that can be highly useful, for one who wishes to truly benefit from Buddhism. As for putting off new people, as someone suggested too much jargon might do, marketing Buddhism to the messes is not really my gig. I suspect that almost anything that has too much popular appeal is probably not worth pursuing.

I know that might seem sardonic, or worse, elitist. I just wonder at what point does changing Nichiren's teaching, so that it is not much different from other popular self help schemes, turn it in to something other than Buddhism? A friend once told me that he liked Soka Gakkai because it taught what he already believed. My reaction was, why bother then? Why do we practice Buddhism? Is it so we can stay as are, and receive some self affirmation, to build up our self esteem?

Are 'Lingo' and Technical Knowledge Essential to Practice?

At Buddhajones

Is understanding Buddhist jargon; or technical knowledge in general, essential? How about understanding the differences between the various sects; the Nichiren schools, the Nichiren derived schools, and other forms of Buddhism; is that necessary? On all accounts, probably not for a stream enterer. However, wrong knowledge can do harm; while correct knowledge can certainly be helpful. The main thing is, one should not get bogged down, or overwhelmed. Otherwise, we might be like a leaky boat, overladen with cargo, sent out into stormy seas, with a confused captain at the helm. Chances are, we would sink.

link to Buddhajones

Are 'Lingo' and Technical Knowledge Essential to Practice?

Song of the Cardinal

Going Cuckoo about Ku; Part One; Emptiness and Form

This is going to be a tad tedious. Over the years I have been taught several different meanings of the Buddhist term translated into Chinese as 空. Note that the Japanese Buddhist go-on reading of that kanji is Ku. I am, at present, convinced that all of the various translations are correct in certain contexts. This is because, it appears to me, that at least three somewhat similar, but different, Buddhist concepts are expressed by ku 空. Possible confusion arises when these different usages are conflated. I think the various uses can be distinguished by looking at their antonyms.

To begin, it appears that most uses of Ku 空 in Buddhist Concepts are figurative. The word literally means sky. It can mean, by inference, empty, void, vacuum, vacant, and so on. The current trendy translation for all uses appears to be emptiness. So, let us first look at where this comes from. When it appears alone, Ku 空 usually seems to be a direct translation of the Sanskrit word Sunyata. This consists of the adjective sunya plus the suffix ta. Sunya literally means zero or nil; but is taken to mean empty in this context. The ta has the same function as the suffix -ness, it makes the adjective into a noun. So sunyata means Emptiness.

As a Mahayana Buddhist concept; sunyata was, I think, developed by Nagarjuna. In its fullness, the concept of emptiness in Mahayana probably covers three areas. First, all phenomena are fleeting, transient, or temporary; therefore they are empty of a fixed identity or self nature. Next, all objects are products of mutually inter-dependent co-arising, therefore they are empty of a separate or independent identity. Finally, it is our mental conception which defines separate objects, and concepts are empty in that they are abstract or noumena, or lacking in any real attributes; except as imputed by the conceptual mind.

The Mahayana concept is derived from a nearly identical concept found in the Nikayas; that of the pali word sunnatta. However, there is maybe a slight difference in literal meaning. We start with sunna; which is the adjective as sunya, it means empty. This is thought to be combined with atta, meaning self. So, this becomes empty of identity, a descriptor of phenomena; derived from anatta {no self, or selfless}. Whereas anatta describes the Five Skandhas {form, sensory perception, mental conception, mental conditioning, and discriminative consciousness}; suna-atta refers to dharmas or conditioned phenomena. I think. I also suspect both were intended as adjectives, not nouns. Anatta = selfless; while sunnatta = unidentifiable?

It is also noteworthy that the Buddha appears to have used formless, arupa or mushiki 無色 as a figurative synonym of sunnatta. At any rate, in all of these cases, rupa or shiki 色, meaning form, is an antonym of Emptiness / shiki 空 / sunnatta / sunyata. Moreover, in the Hridaya or Heart Sutra, the opposite of emptiness appears to be form. The Sanskrit word for form is rupa. If I am correct, it refers to the perception of measurable sensory qualities, chiefly shape, size, & color, that define an object. It is translated into Chinese as 色. go on reading shiki; which literally means color. It also means the other characteristics of sensory perception {vedana} that define an object or phenomenon {'little d' dharma}. However, rupa is not a literal opposite or antomym of sunyata, emptiness is form, and form is emptiness.

In this sense, Emptiness is sort of similar to the concept of non-duality, advata or 不二 funi. However, we are not talking about the same sort of non-duality as in Monism; such as Idealism & Materialism. It is nini 二二 funi 不二. dual, but non-dual; all is sort of one in spirit or noumena, but distinct in 'little d' dharmas or phenomena. I think. Alas, we are not done here, because, in some cases, the opposite of Ku 空 is no longer form, rupa, or shiki 色. Instead, it is ke 假; which means temporary, interim, assumed, borrowed, provisional, makeshift, tentative, conventional. In this usage, ku sometimes shows up as kutai 空諦; in contrast with ketai 假諦. I puzzled over this for years. even decades. Recently, I came up with a tentative answer. That shall be Part Two.

Benefits of Buddhist Practice: Innate & Acquired Awakening

My understanding is that Innate or Original Enlightenment [Hongaku 本覚] refers to the Buddha Nature and its inherent merits, which are transferred directly from the Eternal Buddha. It is contrasted with Acquired Enlightenment [Shikaku 始覚], which is earned through accumulating merit [punya / kudoku 功徳]. Some in the Tendai School of Japan took the concept of Hongaku to the extreme of asserting that humans are already Buddhas as we are, so practice is unnecessary. From what I gather, this view was promoted in Kamakura Era Japan by Dainichi Nonin, a founder of the Nippon Daruma Zen School. Others, such as Dogen, a founder of the Soto Zen School, who equated practice with Innate Awakening, and Nichiren Shonin, rejected Dainichi Nonin's teaching.

If I understand correctly, there are two Transmissions of the Dharma in the Lotus Sutra. One of these is the internal, specific transmission from the Eternal Buddha to his original disciples, the Four Leaders of the Bodhisattvas from Underground. These Four leaders are named Pure Practices [Vishuddhacharitra / Jogyo 浄行], Firmly Established Practices [Supratishthitacharitra / Anryugyo 安立], Boundless Practices [Anantacharitra / Muhengyo 無辺], and Superior Practices [Vishishtacharitra Jogyo 上行]. The other is the external, general transmission to the various provisional Bodshisattvas such as Samantabhadra [Fugen 普賢], Medicine King [Bhaishajyaraja / Yakuo 薬王] or Wondrous Sound [Gadgadasvara Myo'on 妙音], Manjushiri [文殊師利], and Avalokitesvara [Kan'non 観世音] or Maitreya [Miroku 弥勒].

The Four Leaders of the Bodhisattvas from Underground are said to personify the four innate or unconditioned virtues that are mentioned in the Mahayana Nirvana Sutra. These are purity, bliss, constancy, and the higher or authentic self, which is selfless. These innate virtues might be compared with natural talents or aptitudes, Even though these are innate, they do not emerge from underground on their own. Without Buddhist practice we either tend toward affected merits; which can become difficult or painful austerities. Or else we might descend back into amorality or even immorality, stress or suffering, delusion or clinging to temporary phenomena, and selfishness. Chanting meditation as taught by Nichiren, which includes kito 祈祷 and kanjin 観心, arouses our innate purity, bliss, boundless insight into eternity, and authentic selflessness.

My subjective understanding is that the provisional Bodhisattvas can be taken as archetypal personifications of various virtues, merits, or desirable qualities. Moreover, they can be understood as responses to deal with the discomforts caused by the four marks of conditioned existence; which are impurity or defilement, dukkha [stress, suffering, dissatisfaction], impermanence, and the ego or false sense of self [anatta]. For example, I take Samantabhadra to represent moral & ethical discipline, a response to moral impurity. Medicine King is healing, a response to stress; Monju personifies discernment, subjective understanding, and knowledge -- responses to being deluded by the transience of phenomena; and Maitreya symbolizes loving kindness, while Kan'non embodies compassion -- responses to selfishness or a self centered existence.

The provisional virtues might compared with learned or acquired skills. While certainly good and desirable, one of the problems with them is that they tend to be affected and limited. Conforming to moral codes; or suppressing greed, lust, sloth and similar desires; only makes them worse. The healing and fine arts only provide temporary relief from suffering and stress. Acquiring knowledge is ultimately useless for relieving suffering and stress, if our conception is still limited to transient phenomena. Affected loving kindness and compassion are in reality 'do gooding' and pity; which are tinged or tainted with feelings of superiority and contempt, and tend to create co-dependent relationships. Moreover, it is possible to become attached to acquired merits and mistake them for the source Dharma and higher awakening.

This is why the Source Gate [honmon 本門] is primary, and the Trace Gate [迹門]] is secondary. By the way, I suspect that the East Asian concept of hon 本 is similar to in meaning to the Sanskrit terms adhi [origin, primary] and abhi [higher]. At any rate, once we begin to awaken to the source, or our inherent virtues, then, unless the process is interrupted, we should naturally wish to cultivate acquired merits. Moreover, once linked with inherent virtue, the acquired virtues are spontaneous, joyful, and sincere; they are no longer forced, oppressive, or affected.

• Asuddha [impurity, defilement] = Pure Practices = Innate Purity [parishuddhi] = Subha [beauty] = Ethics and Morality [Sila]
  
• Dukkha [suffering, stress, unsatisfactoriness] = Firmly Established Practices = Bliss [sukha] = Patience, Healing, Art & Culture
  
• Anicca [temporary phenomena] = Boundless Practices = Constancy[nicca/nitya] = Discernment [prajna / e], Subjective Wisdom [jnana / chi ], and Hard Knowledge [vidya / myo ] = Tattva [reality]
• Anatta [not self] = Superior Practices = Higher Self [atman] = Satya [truth]

What is Consciousness? Part One: Vijnana

'What is consciousness (vijnana)? It consists of the
six groups of consciousness (sad vijnanakayah), viz.
visual consciousness(caksurvijnana), auditory (srotra),
olfactory (ghrana), gustatory (jihva), tactile (kaya),
and mental consciousness (manovijnana) -- Asanga,
as quoted by Ven. Dr. Walpola Rahula in his essay
Alayavijnana - Store Consciousness

In the Suttas of the Nikayas, the Buddha talks about 6 organs of sensation, 6 vinnana {consciousness of sensation}, and 6 objects of sensation; so we have the 18 sensory realms. My understanding is that the 6 organs are the doors of perception; the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body, and brain. The vinnana are the sensations; sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and perception. The objects are quantifiable attributes; form, sound, aroma, flavor, texture, and phenomena.

So, it appears that if there is no sensory contact; then there can be no vijnana. If we consider the kama-dhatu, or the realm of desire; where most of us dwell most of the time, there is both contact and lusty desire {kamachanda}. Therefore, in the realm of desire, there is vijnana consciusness,

Next, consider the rupa-dhatu, a meditative realm attained via a stage of Samatha Meditation called rupa-dhyana or jhana, meaning form meditation or form absorption. In this realm of form, there is no kamachanda / lust, but there is still contact with the 6 objects of sensation. So, in the realm of form, it appears that there is still vijnana consciousness.

Finally, let us consider the arupa-dhatu or formless realm. This is also a meditative state, amd is attained via a stage of samatha meditation. In this case the stage is attainment, or samapatti; sometimes called arupa- dhyana, or formless meditation. In this realm, there is neither lust nor contact with the objects of sensation, so there can be no vijnana? Yet there appears to be cognizance of noumena.

So from this, I think we can infer that there is some sort of consciousness other than vijnana? Indeed, in the suttas, the Buddha uses several different terms that appear to mean consciousness. These include vijnana; which is inclusive of some level of mental or brain consciousness, the mano-vijnana; manas; and citta. Note that manas and mano are the same word. Mono is simply a form used in compound words, as with psyche and psycho.

So many have concluded that mano-vijnana and manas are simply the same thing. Moreover, citta is also taken as a synonym for vijnana and manas. According to Ven. Dr. Walpola Rahula; the Theravada Tipitaka, Pali Commentaries, the Sarvistivada, the Lankavatara Sutra, and Vasubandhu's Vimsatikavijnapti-matratasiddhi all take them as denoting the same thing. However, according Dr, Rahula, the Fourth Century CE Buddhist Sage Asanga had a different take, "He divides the vijnanaskandha (Aggregate of Conciousness) the fifth of the five skandhas, into three different aspects or layers, namely, citta, manas and vijnana." -- ibid

From Asanga's work, we can, perhaps, infer that mano-vinnana is indeed dependent on contact, that is limited to the preceptive consciousnesses that is generated by contact of the 6 doors of perceptions with the 6 objects of sensation. However, as the example of the formless realm; there must be consciousness independent of sensation.

This is not the only contradiction inherent in the traditional or conventional interpretations of the Suttas. The Buddha also talked about luminous citta. According to him, citta is originally pure, but becomes adulterated through contact with "adventitious minor defilements' (agantukehi upakkilesehi upakkilittham." (ibid). He also explained that mindfulness meditation purifies citta, so that it is once again luminous, freed of defilements.

"Luminous, monks, is the mind. And it is
freed from incoming defilements. The well
instructed disciple of the noble ones
discerns that as it actually is present,
which is why I tell you that — for the
well-instructed disciple of the noble
ones — there is development of the mind."
{I,vi,2} -- AN 1.49-52 Pabhassara Sutta

There is also the matter of The Udana {the third book of the Khuddaka Nikaya}, "... since there is an unborn [deathless, constant], an un-become [steadfast, firmly established], an unmade [true, original, authentic, not fabricated], an unconditioned [pure, unsullied], therefore is there release from what is born [anicca], become [dukkha], made [anatta], and conditioned [impure]."

I suspect that it was these problems which Asanga and the Yogacharans sought to resolve by expanding the concept of vijnana; which also refers to the 5th component, vijnana-skandha, to include manas, or a second mano-vijana, the Seventh Consciousness; as well Alaya-vijnana, an Eighth Consciousness. Apparently, others added a 9th, the Amala-Vijnana.

In the next entry, I shall take a look at that, For now, I will mention that I think alaya-vijnana is a misnomer, that manas {as distinct from mano-vijnana], alaya, and amala are not actually vijnana, that vijnana, except as a sort of metaphor, is not really an all inclusive term for Consciousness. Instead, I would define vijnana {vi = dis + jnana = knowledge, science, information] as meaning discriminative consciousness.

The Power of Threes: Three Words for Wisdom

You would never know from looking at my desk, but I am a very organized person. My wife does not know that; she moves things around to make it tidy, and then I can not find anything. In this connection, I take a very syncretic approach to Buddhist concepts. I am convinced that various sets of threes are all part of a common thread. Moreover, I am determined to sort it out, While this often works, I occasionally encounter a snag. When this happens, I follow a threefold approach:

• Kick it, dismiss it as irrelevant, and belittle those who care about it. {I deal with my messy desk this way}.
• Tie my mind in knots wrestling with it and wind up with a headache. {I deal with disagreements with my wife this way}.
  
• Confess ignorance, let go, sleep on it, and come back to it later. {I have learned to apply this one to difficult Buddhist concepts}
  

Sometimes, as with Conflation/Syncresis of the Three Great Hidden Dharmas, Triple Body & the Threefold Training, there are inconsistencies that seem to defy reconciliation. Not that this a problem; I can deal with ambiguity -- well, sometimes and sort of. On other occasions, the the third step of the threefold system, if greased with a lot of patience, seems to work out. Along this line, one thing that has long bothered me is the inconsistent use of the word wisdom in Buddhist texts and commentaries. It seemed like it meant three different things in different contexts. I also noticed that sometimes knowledge is used instead of wisdom, with the same ambiguities.

It finally dawned on me that that three different words are being translated as either wisdom or knowledge; and sometimes as discernment. Each one has a distinct Pali & Sanskrit form, as well as a Chinese translation. Sorting these out was a headache, because modern Dharma teachers almost invariably slough them off as synonyms. After comparing translations with originals, and weighing context, I came up with a tentative take.

Knowledge, Science, Hard Fact, Objective Wisdom, Lore, Learning: Pali: Vijja; Sanskrit: Vidya; Chinese: 明 -- Go-on or shindoku reading myo; Mandarin ming2, literally meaning "light." This appears to mean knowledge or wisdom in the sense of fact, information, or science. An example of use would be the Vidya -Raja or Myo'on [明王], the Esoteric Wisdom or Knowledge Kings. The opposite is avidya, which might mean nesceince, misinformation, error, or incorrect knowledge.

In keeping with our PIT theme (see The Power of Threes; Universal Truths, General Concepts, and Methods), I see a parallel between Vidya and Principles.

Comprehension, Understanding, Knowing, Subjective Wisdom: Pali & Sanskrit: Jnana ; Greek: Gnosis; Chinese [智] -- Go-on or shindoku reading Chi, Mandarin zhi4. I take this to mean an accurate or correct take on things. The opposite would be ignorance, not knowing, agnostc or ajnana.

There is a related term vinnana or Vijnana. The original meaning appears to have been discrimination. Indeed, the Chinese is 識; shindoku shiki, Mandarin shi4 or zhi4; meaning discriminating. The Buddha applied this to the six sensory organs; eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body, and brain; the function of which is discriminating between various phenomena. As such, it became conflated with citta in the sense of consciousness.

In keeping with our PIT theme, I see a parallel between Jnana and Ideas.

Discernment: Pali: Panna; Sanskrit: Prajna, Chinese: 慧 -- shindoku E, Mandarin hui4. This appears to be accurate thinking, practical skill in both perception and cognition, to be smart or intelligent. For more on this see Manjushiri Mantra . The opposite of prajna might be the Sanskrit mudhi; meaning stupidity, or foolishness. By the way, prajna is also transliterated or phonetically rendered as 般若 -- the shindoku reading is hannya. In this case, the Chinese writing has no meaning, it is a borrowed word. Prajna is closely related to, and often conflated with insight, Pali: vipassana; Sanskrit: Vipashyana, Chinese 観; shindoku kan, Mandarin gwan or kuan. As an aside, 観 is also used to translate the Sanskrit lokita, meaning to look, in the physical sense of sight.

In keeping with our PIT theme, I see a parallel between Prajna and Techniques.

This is still tentative. There is a lack of hard data, book learning, or lore to confirm my take. I could also be misunderstanding the available sources. It could also be that I lack the requisite skill of discernment. However, I think am less misinformed and ignorant than I was, before I looked into the use of the word Wisdom in Buddhist texts. The jury is out on whether I am any less foolish.

Oh, there is no parallel between the PIT formula and the threefold approach to dealing with snags; all three of those are techniques.

The Three Proofs; Actual Proof of Experience 現証

Actual Proof [現証]

"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by
traditions, by scriptureby logical conjecture, by inference, by
analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability,
or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you
know for yourselves that, "These qualities are unskillful; these
qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the
wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm
& to suffering" — then you should abandon them.' "
-- Kalama Sutta Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"Nothing is more certain than actual proof." -- Nichiren

The final test of a Sutra is a practical one, does it actually work? In other words, does the teaching actually produce Enlightened human beings? Also, since the Buddha's intent is that everyone attain enlightenment, is the teaching universally accessible? From what I can gather, prior to Nichiren, the general attitude was that the Lotus Sutra was superior in theory, because it proposed Universal Enlightenment. However, the esoteric methods of Shingon or Mikkyo, based on the Dainichi Sutras, were viewed as superior in practice.

Nichiren's contribution was to tease out the practice of the Three Great Hidden Dharmas or 三大秘法 (sandai hiho) from the text of the Lotus Sutra. This practice is simple and accessible to all; whereas Mikkyo, by definition, is only available to initiates who take the vows of the Samaya. Therefore, thanks to Nichiren Shonin, we can say that the Lotus Sutra is superior to Mikkyo both in theory and practice.

This is not to say other practices in Buddhism have no value at all. Practices such as observation of the ethical code known as the Vinaya, as well as the loving kindness & compassion cultivation (metta-karuna bhavana), and the concentration meditations (samatha), among others, are quite useful. Mindfulness meditation (satipatthana) is particularly a valuable supplement. This is not to say that the primary practice is in any way lacking, or needs supplementation. If I recall correctly (iirc), Nichiren compared the primary practice of the Three Great Hidden Dharmas (sandaihiho) to rice, and the supplementary practices to seasoning.

However, if they do not lead all people directly to awakening; they are provisional or supplementary practices, and, as such, are not prerequisites or requirements for practice. On the one hand, those practices do provide skills that enhance one's practice of the Lotus Sutra. On the other hand, becoming attached to them, becoming confused by them, or feeling they are necessary, can be an impediment to the primary practice, which is cultivating reverent faith in the Wondrous Dharma of the Lotus Sutra.

In the next segment, I plan to discuss another set of threes -- the Three Kinds of Wisdom. This is a concept I sort of came up with on my own. While it is implicit in the way terminology of the Dharma is employed, in at least some texts; I have never seen the concept elaborated. In fact, commentators tend to either ignore or gloss over the distinction between three main terms translated as wisdom. They are commonly given as synonyms, with no further explanation..

The Three Proofs; The Evidence of Reason and Logic 理証

Note: Due to length. I broke the original entry down into four (4)

The Evidence of Logic and Reason [理証]

"Rely on the Dharma and not the person.
Rely on Sutras of Ultimate Truth
and not in Sutras of Incomplete Truth.
Rely on the meaning and not the word.
Rely on Jnana and not on Discrimination."
-- Source Unknown

In addition to passing literal or documentary proof, a teaching must be consistent with the principles of logic & reason. In fact, Buddhism teaches us to look beyond words into the meaning, and even behind the literal meaning into possible figurative or metaphorical meanings. Even the more literal Pali Suttas, and especially the Mahayana Sutras, describe fantastic or impossible events, and these can not reasonably deemed to be literal accounts.


By the way, I am not sure of the source of the above quote on the Four Reliances. I think it is the Nirvana Sutra, but not sure which one, as there are several by that name. Also, depending on which terms are translated as wisdom and consciousness, the last sentence could have completely different meanings. One of those possible meanings strikes me a counter intuitive, another would be contradictory. I am guessing wisdom there is prajna; inferring using ones skilled judgment or discernment, and consciousness is vijnana; indicating, in this context, sense perception rather consciousness. At any rate, there is always some amount of ambiguity in Buddhist terminology; which might be a challenge for those seeking dogmatic certainty.

"It is the way of scholars these days to
assert that only those who possess superior
wisdom and strenuously exert themselves in the
practice of meditation have the capacity to benefit
from the Lotus Sutra, and to discourage persons who
lack wisdom from even trying. But this is in fact an
utterly ignorant and erroneous view. The Lotus
Sutra is the teaching that enables all living beings
to attain the Buddha way. Therefore, the persons
of superior faculties and superior capacity should
naturally devote themselves to contemplation and to
meditating on the Law. But, for persons of inferior
faculties and inferior capacity, the important
thing is simply to have a heart of faith."
-- Nichiren Shonin

One other thing, being a scholar is not at all required to practice Buddhism. I do think improved cognitive skills or discernment {prajna} can be a desirable side effect of practice. However, if we think the mere academic acquisition {jnana} of accurate knowledge {vidya} will enlighten us, we are likely mistaken. I see those more as effects, rather than causes. Knowing helps overcome ignorance; but if we become too attached to book learning, this can create another obstacle. Just as an example, artistic and musical skills are not required either. However, those skills are good and useful, I wish I had some. Instead I have clumsy hands and the voice of a frog. That said, when my practice is better, my fingers become more nimble and my voice more melodious. On the other hand, if I had to be a skilled calligrapher, or have the voice of an opera singer, to attain enlightenment, I would have abandoned the pursuit long ago.

The Three Proofs; Documentary or Literary Evidence 文証

Documentary or Literary Proof [文証]

"ask them if there is documentary proof in the
teachings of any of the Buddhas"

-- Nichiren Shonin

Nichiren Shonin placed a lot of importance on recorded teachings or bunsho 文証; he was highly critical of the concept of 'transmissions outside the Sutras.' Of course, we now know that the Pali Suttas were composed well before thay were recorded; they were codified and subsequently passed down orally, for several centuries, before they were finally committed to writing. Moreover, the Mahayana Sutras, such as the Lotus Sutra, were composed in Sanskrit, centuries after the Buddha's passing. Some of the Mahayana Sutras were even likely composed in Chinese, and back translated into Sanskrit.

It is unclear if Nichiren was aware that the Buddha did not literally preach the Lotus Sutra per se. There are indications Nichiren did know that the Historical Buddha did not literally preach the 28 chapter Lotus Sutra as it was known to Nichiren and is still known to us. He mentioned that the original Lotus Sutra known in India was different than the Kumarijiva version he used. Nichiren also talked about different versions of the Lotus Sutra spoken by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas before Shakyamuni Buddha.

Moreover, the important point is not if the Lotus Sutra is a literal record of an actual event, but whether it teaches core Buddhist principles; does it concur with the Buddha's intent; does it speak with the Buddha's voice? Even in the Pali Canon, some Suttas were preached by the Buddha's disciples on his behalf. In these cases, the people who had heard the Sutta would sometimes later meet the Buddha, and relate what they had heard. The Buddha would then give his stamp of approval. For example, Dhammadinna the Nun taught the Culavedalla Sutta to a male lay follower named Visakha. That Sutta concludes with:

"Then Visakha the lay follower, delighting & rejoicing in what
"Dhammadinna the nun had said, bowed down to her and,
keeping her to his right, went to the Blessed One. On arrival,
having bowed down to the Blessed One, he sat to one side.
As he was sitting there he told the Blessed One the full extent
of the conversation he had had with Dhammadinna the nun.
When this was said, the Blessed One said to him, "Dhammadinna
the nun is wise, Visakha, a woman of great discernment. If you
had asked me those things, I would have answered you in the
same way she did. That is the meaning of those things. That is
how you should remember it." -- translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu [link]

Of course, these days we can not just go ask the Buddha if a Sutra speaks with his voice. Instead, Nagarjuna [iirc] established a protocol called the Four Seals of the Dharma. These are; does a Sutra teach the Principles of anicca {impermanence}, anatta {no self}, dukkha {stress}, and Nirvana or cessation of stress? We can also check to see if it avoids the extreme views rejected by the Buddha; such as eternalism or annihilationism, Idealism or Materialism, hedonism or self mortification, and so on. If so, a Sutra passes the test of documentary or literal proof; and it can be said to speak with the Buddha's Voice.

The Three Proofs or Sansho [三証 ] ; I. The Power of Threes

"In judging the relative merit of Buddhist doctrines,
I, Nichiren, believe that the best standards are those
of reason and documentary proof. And even more
valuable than reason and documentary proof is the
proof of actual fact." -- Nichiren Shonin

The Three Proofs, or 三証 {san sho) is a system that was used by Nichiren Shonin, to evaluate the wide diversity of conflicting Buddhist teachings, which were available in Japan, during the Kamakura Era. This was a burning issue, as various schools were competing for government patronage and secular power. As such, it was important to get the Dharma right, as the future of the nation was at stake. One thing, while the idea of the Three Proofs seems to be implicit in the Buddha's teachings, for example the Kalama Sutta, as far as I know, the concept was devised by Nichiren Shonin himself. I can not find any precise Pali or Sanskrit equivalent concepts. At any rate, the Three Proofs are Documentary Proof, Theoretical Proof, and Actual Proof.

Note: Due to length. I broke the original entry down into four (4).

The Power of Threes; Universal Truths, General Concepts, and Methods

During the 1980's, I was trained in the Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) success system that was developed by the Napoleon Hill (1883 - 1970) and W. Clement Stone (1902 - 2002). As part of that training, I learned about one of Mr. Stone's learning systems, which was called the PIT formula; Principles, Ideas, and Techniques. We were strongly encouraged to always take notes; while listening to a lecture, reading, or attending a sales meeting. As an aid to that, we were trained to look for the principles, the ideas, and the techniques. PIT was a handy way to remember this:

P is for Principles: These are universal truths. They are both eternal and infinite. In other words they transcend temporal or spatial limitations, they are true everywhere and always. In regards to this, We were taught to ask, "What is it?"

However, principles are only abstract, and very general, or formless concepts. Unless we have some way to apply them, they are useless in daily life. Perhaps this was one of reasons Mr. Stone would talk about the importance of thinking and planning time. The thinking time relates to the second step.

I is for Ideas: It is on this level that abstract principles began to take form or shape as concrete concepts. Ideas are various possible ways to ways to apply universal principles; at a given time and place. The question to ask here is, "How can I use it?"

T is for Techniques: These are actual, empirical methods that are 'tried and true," They have been used, and have obtained desirable results that are repeatable. The question to ask was, "When will I use it?"

The answer we were given was "Do it Now!"

However, while PMA was a beautiful philosophy, I could not help but notice that the teachers did not have to the hit the streets and prove it. Moreover those who were doing it were failing at a large rate. The success stories were rather few and far between. It occurred to me the reason was that, in some cases, concepts that were really ideas were mistaken with universal principles. In addition, many of the techniques that had worked in the past, no longer cut it, as times had changed. Instead of being tried and true, the methods were bound and tethered to the past. We were trying to repeat the magic, but it was not working.

This may be a flaw of human beings. We get attached to certain forms and methods, and keep repeating them, out of habit, long after they have ceased to create any value in our lives. Still, I think the PIT formula is excellent. We simply were not using it fully. We would take a PIT stop, and do some thinking and planning, but the results were still "the pits." It was in our minds that failure occurred only because because we failed to work the system. No one had the courage to say the system, on the level of T, had stopped working years before. It was time to review P, come up with new I, and try some different T.

The PIT formula always reminded me of some other "sets of three" which I had already encountered, in Nichiren Buddhism, as taught by Soka Gakkai {SGI}, a decade earlier. In some respects, SGI had the same issues as my company. They had, in the past, enjoyed incredible growth. However, I/we/they got stuck in a cycle of trying to repeat the phenomena, and by 1979, had already begun to stagnate.

While I have since distanced my self from SGI, I still practice Nichiren Buddhism, albeit alone, or with the "cyber sangha," After more than a decade of misfortune and crippling illness, I have reviewed the P, come up with some new I, and found some T that seem to be working quite well. In the next entry, I shall began discussing some Buddhist rough equivalents of PIT, beginning with the Three Proofs or 三証 [san sho].

Welcome to the Ninth Consciousness

Hola! Some of you may already sort of know me from Fraught with Peril. I am still over there, but decided I wanted a spot of my own as well. This weblog, the Ninth Consciousness, will mostly be about Buddhism; but also other things that interest you, the reader, and I, the would be writer.

I have officially been a Buddhist for more 35 years now.As with many, my official entry level Dharma Gate was Nichiren Buddhism, brought to me by Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu. While I remain in the Nichiren camp, so to speak, I have moved in a more independent direction, and am probably headed toward Nichiren Shu. In between, a lot of things have happened.

As of right now, I expect the topics here shall cover some of the things I write about at Mettawaves from Robin's Nest. These would include what I do as Buddhist Practice, the method I employ, and why I do those practices. Basically, I follow the Eightfold Path, or more accurately, the Threefold Training; from which, the Eightfold Path is a derivative. That is Ethics / Precepts, Meditation, and Wisdom / Insight. The center of that is Meditation. I do the basics -- samatha / samadhi / dhyana and satipatthana / vipassana. Those are a mix of sanskrit and pali terms, which are helpful, but not necessary to know. I use them because translations are not always consistent. Those words might be rendered into English as: Stillness / Concentration / Absorption, and Mindfulness / Insight. As an aside, I do not think Insight is really a meditation in itself, it is more the result, and equivalent to the Third Training of Wisdom.

As for methodology, I pretty much stick to a form of Chanting Meditation called Shodai [唱題?]. This consists of three primary components; the mudra or hand gesture, the honzon or object of concentration, and the mantra or chant. The mudra corresponds to the training of ethics / precept; and the primary one I use is the Gesture of Reverence called Anjali Namaskara or Gassho. The primary honzon I use is a calligraphy mandala designed by Nichiren, based on the core chapters of the Lotus Sutra. The Mantra I primarily use is Namu Myoho Renge Kyo [南無妙法�華経], which is called the Daimoku [題目] . As you might suspect, I shall be going into this in minute detail.

As to why I do this, when I chant; the sun shines everywhere I go, people are kind to me, I always get green lights, lines are short, I get ideal parking spaces, and money falls from the sky! Seriously though, the practice, when i do it, puts me in a good mood, it is quite healing, it helps me improve my cognitive skills, and it promotes self reformation. We shall be going into that a bit more here, perhaps even discussing why it works.

Another thing I shall be doing here is studying the life and legends of Nichiren, the 13th Century Japanese Buddhist monk who founded the type of Buddhism I practice. Since the use of a honzon or religious icon is part of the practice, I will be getting into iconography; to include the a study of the extant Mandala Gohonzons inscribed by Nichiren himself and his successors. We shall also be discussing other honzons, as well as other mantras I find useful. We can also go off into Buddhist altars, ritual implements, the rosary, special confessional rites, and so on. My goodness, that is enough to keep me busy here for several years!