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A Votary of the Lotus Sutra Will Meet Ordeals: the Role of Suffering in Nichiren's Thought (1) by Jacqueline I

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A Votary of the Lotus Sutra Will Meet Ordeals: the Role of Suffering in Nichiren's Thought (1) by Jacqueline I A Votary of the Lotus Sutra Will Meet Ordeals: The Role of Suffering in Nichiren's Thought (1) by Jacqueline I. Stone r·~~~~1::-~i:;;~:=:::~::;~;:~;::;:=:~-~~:;:~;;;i~~~· ..~;;;:-=.~J This article is based on a paper presented at the International Lotus they his course of action,· .•. •. li:t~~.i~~};.utra·,· le,gltim~ted iden(ifi.e~ ~ --!/j Sutra Seminar held May 27-June 1, hi11J. fii~ .a person whose advent was foretold by the Bucfc(ha, \, ' ·~ j< 2013, near Tokyo by Rissho Kosei-kai on j endowed with a unique destiny to spread the Lotus Sutra in 1 the theme "Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra, ~ the evil latter age; and even served to establish the truth of and human suffering: classical, modern, l and contemporary approaches." l· (h~!:_~!~~.:~:::=~"~~e~~~~==·o~=-m•~==~o~k"~=-===~~<==d In Japan, no name is more closely asso­ acknowledges the protracted, dislo­ Rissh6 Daigaku Nichiren Kyogaku ciated with the Lotus Sutra than that of cating grief that follows the loss ofloved Kenkyujo, 4 vols. [Minobusan Kuonji, Nichiren (1222-82). Known today as the ones. To a woman whose husband had 1952-59; rev. ed. 1988], 2:1762) founder of the sect that bears his name, died more than a year before, he wrote: Nichiren taught a doctrine of exclusive And, to a woman who had lost her six­ devotion to the Lotus Sutra, expressed A house without a man is like a teen-year-old son: in the chanting of its daimoku, or its person without a soul (tamashii). Japanese title: Namu Myoho Renge­ Whom can you consult about affairs? The wealth in your coffers and [the ky6. Nichiren had trained in the Tendai And to whom can you feed good service of] your family retainers Buddhist tradition, which takes the Lotus things? Even a day or two's separa­ were all for this child's sake. You Sutra as fundamental. He himself main­ tion would make you feel anxious, must have believed that, when you tained that the Buddha had intended but he departed on the twenty-first died, you would be carried to the the teachings in this one scripture spe­ day of the third month of last year, fields [for burial] and have no fur­ cifically for the present evil era. Other and though you waited out the year ther concerns [having left every­ teachings, he said, were no longer effica­ in anticipation of his return, he did thing in his hands]. But contrary to cious. Over the course of his preaching not come back. Now already it is the the proper order, he died before you. career, Nichiren's "Lotus only" stance and seventh month of this year. Though "How could this happen? Surely this his criticisms of other Buddhist forms he himself does not come, why does is a dream, an illusion! I will wake invited the anger ofleading prelates and he not at least send word? The blos­ up, I will wake up!" you must have government officials. Attempts were soms that once scattered now bloom thought. But you do not wake, and made on his life. He was exiled twice again, the fallen fruit forms again already another year has passed .... and experienced periods of great dan­ on the trees; the spring breezes are If told there was a place where you ger and physical privation. What did unchanged, the autumn scenery is could meet him, then surely without this Buddhist teacher, who endured so the same as it was last year. Why has wings, you would soar to the heav­ many trials for his convictions, have to this one matter alone altered, never ens, and without a boat, you would say about the nature of suffering? to be the same again? ... Heaven cross to China. ("Ueno-ama gozen Some of the most moving passages itself should resent and the earth gohenji;' Teihon 2:1859) in Nichiren's extant writings are let­ grieve that this man has gone and ters of condolence to his lay support­ does not return! ("Sennichi-ama Such passages suggest that Nichiren ers, in which-before offering any gohenji;' Showa teihon Nichiren was keenly aware of the sufferings of sort of encouragement in faith-he Shan in ibun [hereafter Teihon), ed. impermanence inherent in the human 30 DHARMA WoRLD January-March 2014 Jacqueline I. Stone received her PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles, in East Asian Languages and Cultures, with a focus in Buddhist Studies. She is now Professor of Japanese Religions in the Religion Department of Princeton University. Her major research field is Japanese Buddhism. Her research interests include death in Buddhism; Buddhist eschatology; Buddhism and Japanese identity formation in the medieval and modern periods; and traditions related to the Lotus Sutra, especially Tendai and Nichiren Buddhism. sense. Nor did he address true Dharma" occurs in a number of in any substantial way the Mahayana sutras, where it often means kind of suffering that can be to speak ill of Great Vehicle scriptures alleviated through ordinary and was evidently intended to deflect relief measures, such as car­ criticism from the Buddhist mainstream ing for the sick or feeding that the Mahayana was not the Buddha's the hungry, representative teaching (Mochizuki bukkyo daijiten forms of charitable work car­ 5:4327c-28d). The Lotus Sutra itself ried out by some Buddhist warns of the horrific karmic retribu­ priests in his day. But he tion awaiting those guilty of this offense, did reflect, write, and teach most famously in the verse section of the at length about the causes "Parable" chapter, which represents the and significance of suffering Buddha as saying: "One who, not believ­ connected specifically with ing, I maligns this scripture, I thereby the Lotus Sutra. This essay cuts off the seeds of Buddhahood in all will explore two intertwined the worlds .... I Such persons, at life's dimensions of suffering fun­ end, I shall enter the Av'ici Hell, I where Portrait ofNichiren painted by Fujiwara Chikayasu in damental to his thought: the they shall fulfill one kalpa. I When the 1282, owned by Kuonji, the head temple of the Nichiren suffering that comes from kalpa is ended, they shall be reborn there, sect ofJapanese Buddhism, in Yamanashi Prefecture. rejecting the Lotus Sutra, and I in this way, spinning around, I for kal­ the suffering that comes from pas without number" (Miaofa lianhua condition. To his followers he stressed upholding it-the latter being a cate­ jing, TaishO Tripitaka [hereafter T] no. that by chanting the daimoku of the Lotus gory of suffering that, without losing its 262, 9:15b22-cl; Leon Hurvitz, trans., Sutra one could "cross the sea of suffer­ quality as suffering, is also happiness. Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine ing" ("Shiiji Shiro-dono gosho;' Teihon Dharma, rev. ed. (Columbia University 1:227-28), establishing an inner free­ The Most Terrible Press, 2009), 71-72 (the quoted text is dom and security of mind that is inde­ of Sins slightly modified). The passage con­ pendent of whether one's circumstances tinues for numerous verses, detailing are favorable or adverse. "Recognize suf­ Nichiren took as given the law of kar­ how such wretched offenders, at last fering as suffering, enjoy pleasures for mic causality, according to which suf­ emerging from the Av'ici Hell, will be what they are, and whether in suffer­ fering is the consequence of one's prior born as wild dogs, scabrous and ema­ ing or joy, keep chanting Namu-Myoh6- misdeeds. However, his writings show ciated, or as monstrous snakes, "deaf, Renge-kyo;' he encouraged one follower. little concern with the karmic conse­ stupid, and legless:' At last ascending to "Then you will know the happiness of quences of such ordinary evils as ldll­ the human realm, they will repeatedly the Dharma for yourself" ("Shijo Kingo­ ing, theft, deceit, or sexual misconduct. be born poor, deformed, and afflicted dono gohenji;' Teihon 2:1181). Rather, they focus on what Nichiren with disease, never to hear the Dharma Yet Nichiren did not elaborate the­ understood as an evil of an altogether for kalpas (aeons) numberless as the oretically on samsaric suffering (sam­ different magnitude: maligning or slan­ sands of the Ganges River. Even this, sara being the cycle of death and rebirth dering the true Dharma (hihO shobo, or the Buddha declares, is a mere sum­ before attainment of nirvana) in a general simply hobo). The term "slander ofthe mary, for the evil recompense incurred DHARMA WORLD January-March 2014 31 by those who malign the Lotus could disciples argued that the Lotus Sutra was Lotus Sutra. The nenbutsu, Nichiren never be explained in full, not even over too profound for people of this deluded argued, belonged to a lesser category the course of a kalpa (Miaofa lianhua age. Attempting to practice it was like of provisional Mahayana and did not jing, T9:15cl-16a9; Hurvitz, Scripture a small boy trying to wear his grand­ represent the Buddha's final intent. He of the Lotus, 72-75). Nichiren, however, father's shoes or a physically weak per~ likened it to the scaffolding erected in did not use the term Dharma slander son trying to use a stout bow and heavy building a large stupa: once the stupa simply to mean criticizing or maligning armor. They further insisted that such (the Lotus Sutra) has been completed, the Lotus Sutra but expanded the defi­ statements did not amount to malign­ the scaffolding (the nenbutsu) should be nition of this offense to include setting ing the Lotus Sutra but simply reflected dismantled ("Nenbutsu mugen jigoku aside the Lotus, for whatever reason or a realistic assessment of human short­ sh6;' Teihon 1:35).
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