JULY–DEC. 2018, VOL. 45 FEATURES The Buddhahood of Plants and Trees: The Environment and Buddha-Nature 2 On Interbeing and Learning to Respect Everything Beyond Dharma World presents Buddhism the Self as a practical living religion and by Hiroshi Munehiro Niwano promotes interreligious dialogue 3 Th e Buddhahood of Plants for world peace. It espouses views and the Japanese View of that emphasize the dignity of life, Nature seeks to rediscover our inner nature by Fumihiko Sueki and bring our lives more in accord with it, and investigates causes of 6 Does a Dewdrop Teach human suff ering. It tries to show Dharma? Zen Perspectives on how religious principles help solve the Teachings of the Insentient problems in daily life and how the by Kenneth Kraft least application of such principles 10 Th e Buddhahood of All has wholesome eff ects on the world Insentient Beings around us. It seeks to demonstrate by Brook Ziporyn truths that are fundamental to all religions, truths on which all people 13 A Prayer for “Plants and Trees, can act. Countries and Lands, All Become Buddhas” Publisher: Koichi Saito by Shinsui Okada Director: Naoki Taketani 16 How Do We Respect the Buddha-Nature of Nature? Senior Editor: Kazumasa Osaka by David R. Loy Editor: Katsuyuki Kikuchi 20 Flowers of Sentience, Roots of Consciousness: Editorial Advisors: Th e Buddhahood of Plants in the Nō Th eater Miriam Levering, Gene Reeves, by M. Cody Poulton Dominick Scarangello, Michio T. Shinozaki Copy Editors: 24 Diversity Builds Unity DeAnna Satre, Stephen Comee, Th e Th irty-Fift h Niwano Peace Prize Acceptance Address Catherine Szolga by Fadi Daou Subscription Staff : Kazuyo Okazaki 28 Buddha-Nature (1) Layout and Design: Abinitio Design Revering Buddha-Nature by Dominick Scarangello Cover: 37 Living Joyfully Photos: Shutterstock.com by Nichiko Niwano Photoshop work by Abinitio Design 38 Eastern Initiative and Western Response by Nikkyo Niwano THE THREEFOLD LOTUS SUTRA: A MODERN COMMENTARY 46 Th e Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law Chapter 26: Dharanis (2) Dharma World is published semiannually by Rissho Kosei-kai International, Fumon Media Center 3F, 2-7-1 Wada, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 166-8537. E-mail: [email protected]. Copyright © 2018 by Rissho Kosei-kai International. All rights reserved. Printed in Japan by Komiyama Printing Company. Change of Address: Please provide both old and new addresses. Six weeks’ advance notice is requested. Requests for permission to reprint all or part of any article in this issue must be made in writing to the editor of Dharma World. FEATURES On Interbeing and Learning to Respect Everything Beyond the Self by Hiroshi Munehiro Niwano Hiroshi Munehiro Niwano is president Human beings capable of attaining buddhahood coexist of Rissho Kosei-kai’s Gakurin interdependently with “everything beyond the self.” In Seminary and chairperson of the other words, it is through their interbeing with the universe Niwano Peace Foundation, both in and this planet—with the air, water, and earth of the global Tokyo. environment and with the fauna and fl ora that inhabit it—that they experience and sustain life. “It is diffi cult to be born human; diffi - In the same work, Saji goes on to together in prayerful and respect- cult is the life of mortals,” says one of observe that all matter circulates and is ful salutation and saying, “I would the verses in the collection of sayings of interrelated, and that “all things exist in never disrespect you, as all of you will the Buddha known as the Dhammapada. balance with their opposites.” On our become buddhas.” This signifi es that Th is verse not only reminds us how rare own planet, therefore, we and every- all humans are precious beings who it is to be born human; it also teaches thing around us exist in balance as part have the potential to attain buddha- us how precious life is and how grate- of the great cycle that is the earth (ibid., hood. As humans, it is important that ful we should be, as beings who will 54). Regarding the question of where we we fi rst realize this. one day inevitably die, for our lives in should draw the dividing line between As Saji argues on the basis of our the here and now. ourselves and what exists beyond us, scientifi c knowledge of the universe, According to the theoretical phys- Saji states that we should “go beyond however, even such precious human icist Haruo Saji, our study of the uni- conceiving of ourselves as the physical beings capable of attaining buddhahood verse tells us that “all the matter from body inside our skin to consider also the coexist interdependently with “every- which [humans, animals, and plants] are entire environment that surrounds us thing beyond the self.” In other words, made . consists of ‘fragments’ of stars as constitutive of ourselves,” so that we it is through their interbeing with the scattered into space when they die in a can recognize that “what makes me me universe and this planet—with the air, supernova explosion” (Karada wa hoshi is everything beyond the self.” Humans water, and earth of the global environ- kara dekite iru [Bodies are made from actually “inter-be”—that is to say, they ment and with the fauna and fl ora that stars], Shunjusha, 2007, 131). Th us we interdependently coexist—with the inhabit it—that they experience and are all composed of “fragments” of the other in the universe and, more con- sustain life. universe, and when our lives come to cretely, in the environment that is the But these precious humans continue an end, all the matter from which we earth, and it is “everything beyond the to destroy the global environment that are made turns back into tiny particles self” that gives humans life and sus- sustains and coexists interdependently and returns eventually to outer space. tains their existence (ibid., 22–23). In with them. Th at is why it is now time for Human existence is, in other words, this respect, research on the universe us to open our own eyes and to show “one fl eeting moment in the cycle of leads to the same conclusions as those constant respect, in the spirit of the matter during the immeasurable uni- taught by Buddhism. Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful, for verse’s evolution” for well over ten billion The Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful “everything beyond the self” that gives years (ibid., 53). Th is makes us realize (Sadāparibhūta Bodhisattva), who us life and makes possible our existence just how extraordinary our receipt of appears in the Lotus Sutra, greeted all as precious beings who have the poten- the gift of life here and now is. whom he met by bringing his hands tial to attain buddhahood. ≥ 2 Dharma World July–December 2018 FEATURES The Buddhahood of Plants and the Japanese View of Nature by Fumihiko Sueki Fumihiko Sueki, PhD, is a professor According to [Annen], there was not . a clear distinction emeritus of the University of Tokyo, between sentient and nonsentient: at the root of the mind the Graduate University for Advanced of the generality of sentient beings is the heart-mind (Skt., Studies, and the International hṛdaya) held in common with trees and grasses, and it is this Research Center for Japanese hṛdaya that attains buddhahood. Studies. His research focuses mainly on reconstruction of the intellectual history of Buddhism in Japan from The Buddhist and nonsentient beings became an impor- ancient to modern times. He is the author and editor of a number Japanese Attitudes tant subject for debate. Since China had not previously had any concept of of books, mainly on Japanese toward Nature sentient beings, no strict distinction Buddhism and the history of Japanese was made between sentient and non- philosophy and religion. Buddhist doctrine refers to entities sentient, which was why the question possessing mind (Skt., citta) as sen- of nonsentient buddhahood was taken actions, seen typically in Confucianism. tient beings (Skt., sattva) and consid- up. Th eJingangbi lun (Diamond Scalpel Th e Japanese did not view human beings ers them to undergo rebirth through Treatise) of the sixth Tiantai patriarch, in any special way as did the Chinese. the six realms of existence (hells, hun- Zhanran (711–82), confronted the issue Furthermore, they tended to look on gry spirits, animals, asuras, human directly and asserted that nonsentient nature in terms of plants. Th e land of beings, heavenly beings). It is because beings could attain buddhahood. Th is Japan was called the “middle land of they possess mind that they give rise to did not, however, mean that they could the reed beds” (ashihara no nakatsu the defi lements, accumulating the neg- aspire to enlightenment, practice, and kuni), its landscape being described as ative karma that is the cause of rebirth. achieve buddhahood of themselves. a swamp where reeds grew. Th e fecun- Th e purpose of Buddhism therefore is to Rather, when a sentient being attains dity of plants symbolized the evolution release beings from the suff ering asso- buddhahood, the whole environment of the world. According to the Nihon ciated with rebirth, a condition called becomes the Buddha’s realm. A sentient shoki (Chronicle of Japan, eighth cen- liberation (Skt., vimokśa) and nirvana. being’s subjective existence (Jpn., shōhō) tury), before Ninigi, grandson of the sun Mahayana calls it the attainment of bud- arises from past karmic eff ects and this goddess Amaterasu, descended from the dhahood (Jpn., jōbutsu). Th ere also exist causes the realm of the environment heavenly plain, the land of Japan was nonsentient beings (Skt., asattva).