Point One, concerning “the treasure tower”
Words and Phrases, volume eight, says, “The former Buddha, Many Treasures, is already there in the tower. The present Buddha, Shakyamuni, seats himself beside him. Future Buddhas will also do likewise.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The word “treasure” stands for the five components of life, form, perception, conception, volition, and consciousness. The word “tower” stands for the harmony and combination of the five components. The five components functioning in harmony is designated a treasure tower. The harmony of the five components emerges or is seen in the five characters of 妙法蓮華経. This is the meaning of the word ken, to emerge or to be seen.
Now Nichiren and his followers, who chant 南無妙法蓮華経, exemplify the emergence of the treasure tower.
Point Two, on the seven treasures in the passage “At that time in the Buddha’s presence there was a tower adorned with the seven treasures.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The seven treasures are hearing, as in hearing the Law; belief; keeping of the precepts; meditation; diligence; abandoning of attachment to earthly desires; and a sense of shame. Or again, we may say that they are the seven openings in the head, the eyes, the ears, the nostrils, and the mouth.
Now Nichiren and his followers, who chant 南無妙法蓮華経, are practitioners who are “adorned with the seven treasures.”
Point Three, on the passage “All four sides emitted a fragrance of tamālapatra and sandalwood that pervaded the whole world.”
Words and Phrases, volume eight, says, “The words ‘All four sides emitted a fragrance’ mean that the wind of the way represented by the four noble truths wafts a fragrance of the four virtues or pāramitās, namely, happiness, true self, purity, and eternity.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The words “four sides” stand for birth, aging, sickness, and death. We use the aspects of birth, aging, sickness, and death to adorn the towers that are our bodies. And when, while in these four states of birth, aging, sickness, and death, we chant 南無妙法蓮華経, we cause them to waft forth the fragrance of the four virtues.
南無 stands for the pāramitā of happiness, 妙法 for the pāramitā of true self, 蓮華 for the pāramitā of purity, and 経 for the pāramitā of eternity.
Point Four, on the passage “At that time a loud voice issued from the treasure tower, speaking words of praise:”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: These are the words that we living beings utter each morning and evening. As to the fact that this is called a “loud” or a big voice, the provisional teachings are a small voice, while, in comparison, the Lotus Sutra is a big voice. In turn, the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra are a small voice, while 妙法蓮華経 is a big voice.
Generally speaking, the big or loud of the “loud voice” stands for the Dharma-realm. When one views the words of all the living beings in the Dharma-realm as the voice of the Wonderful Law, this is what is called a big voice. Now the chanting of 南無妙法蓮華経 by Nichiren and his followers is such a big voice.
Again, we may say that the word “loud” represents the truth of non-substantiality, the “voice” represents the truth of temporary existence, and that from which the voice “issues” represents the truth of the Middle Way.
Point Five, on the passage “At that time the four kinds of believers saw the great treasure tower suspended in the air.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The words “saw the great treasure tower” refer to our individual bodies. “Suspended in the air” refers to the fact that we living beings in the end will pass away and return.
Now when Nichiren and his followers chant 南無妙法蓮華経 and maintain their faith in it, they are “suspended in the air.” They are “suspended in” or participating in the Ceremony in the Air.
Point Six, on the passage “Long ago, an immeasurable thousand, ten thousand, million asamkhyas of worlds to the east, in a land called Treasure Purity, there was a Buddha named Many Treasures.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The Treasure Purity World is the wombs of our mothers. “There was a Buddha” refers to the Buddha of the true aspect of all phenomena. Here he is called Many Treasures Buddha.
The womb is the realm of earthly desires. The Buddha of the true aspect of reality resides in the midst of the mud and mire of earthly desires. This refers to us living beings.
Now when Nichiren and his followers chant 南無妙法蓮華経, they may be termed the Buddha of the Lotus that is the entity of the Law.
Point Seven, on the passage “If, after I have become a Buddha and entered extinction, in the lands in the ten directions there is any place where the Lotus Sutra is preached, then my funerary tower, in order that I may listen to the sutra, will come forth and appear in that spot to testify to the sutra and praise its excellence.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The words “ten directions” refer to the Ten Worlds. The Lotus Sutra explains the twelve-linked chain of causation that determines the unceasing changes that we living beings undergo. Therefore the words “Lotus Sutra” refer to the sound of our words.
The words “its excellence” tell us that excellence and non-excellence, good and bad, are not two different things, and that correct and incorrect are a single entity.
Now the place where Nichiren and his followers chant 南無妙法蓮華経 may be said to be where the Buddha Many Treasures comes forth and makes his appearance.
Point Eight, regarding the way in which the Buddha emitted a ray of light from the tuft of white hair between his eyebrows to illuminate the eastern region, and how it also illuminated “the southern, western, and northern regions as well, and in the four intermediate quarters and up and down.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The four quarters, north, south, east, and west; the four intermediate quarters, northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest; and up and down constitute the ten directions, which are equivalent to the Ten Worlds. The living beings of the Ten Worlds all share the light of the three poisons, greed, anger, and foolishness. This is here referred to as the light from the tuft of white hair between the Buddha’s eyebrows. It is the wisdom embodied in the single mind of the Middle Way.
Now when Nichiren and his followers chant 南無妙法蓮華経, they are shining this light upon all the Ten Worlds simultaneously. This is because it is the bright light of the true aspect of all phenomena.
Point Nine, on the words “Each Buddha presented his attendant with a handful of jeweled flowers” in the passage “At this time the Buddhas, each seated on a lion seat under one of the jeweled trees, all dispatched their attendants to go and greet Shakyamuni Buddha. Each Buddha presented his attendant with a handful of jeweled flowers.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The words “jeweled flowers” represent a greeting of palms pressed together, and symbolize the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. The word “each” indicates that all the Ten Worlds are included. You should understand that the element “-ful” in the word “handful” means the full or perfect principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life.
Now when Nichiren and his followers chant 南無妙法蓮華経, they are presenting jeweled flowers to the Buddha.
The jeweled flowers are wish-granting jewels, and wish-granting jewels stand for the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. This is what is meant by the passage “The heavenly beings, dragons, spirits, and the others, / . . . as well as the wheel-turning sage kings / come from ten thousands of millions of lands, / all press their palms and with reverent minds / wish to hear the teaching of perfect endowment”.
Point Ten, on the words “like the sound of a lock and crossbar being removed from a great city gate” in the passage “Shakyamuni Buddha with the fingers of his right hand then opened the door of the tower of seven treasures. A loud sound issued from it, like the sound of a lock and crossbar being removed from a great city gate.”
The Supplement to T’ien-t’ai’s Three Major Works,volume four, says: “This opening of the treasure tower and appearance of the Buddha Many Treasures is symbolizing something. If we ask what it is, we may say that the opening of the tower is the opening up or setting aside of the provisional teachings, and the appearance of the Buddha is the appearance or revelation of the true teaching. Again, it symbolizes the fact that the earlier, theoretical teaching has been affirmed, and that now the teaching that comes after, the essential teaching, is about to be presented. In the phrase ‘like the sound of a lock and crossbar being removed,’ the word ‘removed’ means to clear away. The passage symbolizes the fact that the obstacles to enlightenment have been cleared away and the workings of enlightenment have been set in motion. The bodhisattva of the Dharma body is dispelling perplexities and revealing the principle, widening his understanding of the way and reducing his still remaining illusions.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The lock and crossbar represent slanders of the Law or ignorance. The opening of the great city gate represents the fact that we can attain Buddhahood. The great city gate is the two elements of body and mind that we possess. The great city is the element of the body and the gate is the mouth.
Now when Nichiren and his followers chant 南無妙法蓮華経, they are clearing away the obstacles of illusions posed by ignorance to reveal the Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Buddha who reside in our own minds.
The lock and crossbar represent ignorance. The opening stands for the Dharma nature. The crossbar is the single word 妙, or “wonderful.” T’ien-t’ai says, “The secret inner storehouse is opened. This may be termed 妙, or ‘wonderful.’” You should understand, therefore, that this one word 妙 is the crossbar. This passage of the sutra is showing us how the lock and crossbar of slander of the Law and lack of faith are removed to open up or reveal the Buddha in our own minds. As was said in an earlier passage, “The Buddhas . . . wish to open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings”. You should think about this.
Point Eleven, on the passage “Immediately Shakyamuni Buddha used his transcendental powers to lift all the members of the great assembly up into the air.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: “The great assembly” is the throng of listeners. “All the members of the great assembly up into the air” represents the state of our existence after death. Now when Nichiren and his followers chant 南無妙法蓮華経, they are realizing that the sufferings of birth and death are none other than nirvana, a state that is described in the phrase “all up into the air.” We are thus subsumed under the heading of those for whom the sufferings of birth and death are none other than nirvana.
The earth represents the element of the body, while the air represents the element of the mind. But we should understand that body and mind are not two different entities. Hence the air represents the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light.
Again, we may say that the air represents 蓮華, earth represents 経, and heaven represents 妙法. The air is what exists in the middle. Among all the living beings there will be bodhisattvas who sit in the lotus seat. This is what is expressed in the words 妙法蓮華経. Hence the Lotus Sutra says, “if they are born in the presence of a Buddha, they will be born by transformation from lotus flowers.”
Point Twelve, on the words “as though a great wind / were tossing the branches of small trees” in the passage “I have employed transcendental powers, / moving immeasurable multitudes, / causing lands to be clean and pure, / leading each of these Buddhas / to the foot of a jeweled tree, / adorned as lotus blossoms / adorn a clear cool pond. / Beneath these jeweled trees / are lion seats, / and the Buddhas seat themselves on them, / adorning them with their brilliance / like a huge torch burning / in the darkness of the night. / A wonderful incense exudes from their bodies, / pervading the lands in the ten directions. / Living beings are wrapped in the aroma, / unable to restrain their joy, / as though a great wind / were tossing the branches of small trees.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: In this verse section, the three similes, “adorned as lotus blossoms / adorn a clear cool pond,” “as though a great wind / were tossing the branches of small trees,” and “like a huge torch burning / in the darkness of the night,” represent the three bodies of a Buddha.
Among these three similes, that which speaks of “a great wind” stands for the five characters of 妙法蓮華経. The words “tossing the branches of small trees” refer to the refutation.
Now when Nichiren and his followers chant 南無妙法蓮華経, they are like the blowing of a great wind.
Point Thirteen, on the passage “For the sake of the Buddha way / in immeasurable numbers of lands / from the beginning until now / I have widely preached many sutras, / and among them / this sutra is foremost. / If one can uphold this, / he will be upholding the Buddha’s body.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: To uphold the Lotus Sutra is to uphold belief in the fact that our bodies are the Buddha’s body. The one word soku, or “then”, indicates that living beings and the Buddha are not two different things. The first “uphold” in the phrase “If one can uphold this” stands for ordinary mortals. The entity to be upheld is the five characters of 妙法蓮華経. We speak of this as “upholding the Buddha’s body” because each and every word is the golden-colored body of the Buddha.
To uphold the body of the Buddha means to uphold the belief that outside of our own bodies there is no Buddha. That is, the ordinary mortal at ri-soku,or the stage of being a Buddha in theory, is not different from the Buddha at kukyō-soku, or the stage of ultimate enlightenment. The word soku indicates the fact that the first soku, that of ri-soku,and the last soku, that of kukyō-soku, are no different from one another.
Point Fourteen, on the words “This sutra is hard to uphold” in the passage “This sutra is hard to uphold; / if one can uphold it even for a short while / I will surely rejoice / and so will the other Buddhas. / A person who can do this / wins the admiration of the Buddhas. / This is what is meant by valor, / this is what is meant by diligence. / This is what is called observing the precepts / and practicing dhūta. / This way one will quickly attain / the unsurpassed Buddha way. / And if in future existences / one can read and uphold this sutra, / he will be a true son of the Buddha, / dwelling in a land spotless and good.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: One who upholds this Lotus Sutra should uphold it with the understanding that one will encounter difficulties. And the attainment of Buddhahood referred to in the words “This way one will quickly attain / the unsurpassed Buddha way”—this is now what Nichiren and his followers attain when they chant 南無妙法蓮華経.
Point Fifteen, on the words “I will surely rejoice / and so will the other Buddhas.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The word “I” refers to the mind king, the core of the mind. The words “the other Buddhas” refer to the various functions of the mind. When one upholds the Lotus Sutra, both the mind and its various functions rejoice simultaneously.
Again we may say that the word “I” refers to ordinary mortals, and the words “the other Buddhas” refer to the Buddhas of the three existences. Now Nichiren and his followers rejoice as they chant 南無妙法蓮華経, and this is what the passage is referring to.
Point Sixteen, on the words “And if in future existences / one can read and uphold this sutra”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: This refers to the practices of reading and accepting, which make up two of the five practices. Now Nichiren and his followers, in chanting 南無妙法蓮華経, are carrying out the practice of reading. And in upholding “this sutra” they are carrying out the practice of upholding. The words “this sutra” refer to the five characters of the 妙法蓮華経.
Point Seventeen, on the words “he will be a true son of the Buddha”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The votaries of the Lotus Sutra are the true sons of Shakyamuni, the Dharma King. And for that reason they are able to succeed him and become kings themselves. You should carefully consider these words, “he will be a true son of the Buddha,” in conjunction with the passage that says, “But now this threefold world / is all my domain, / and the living beings in it / are all my children”.
Now Nichiren and his followers, those who chant 南無妙法蓮華経, are children of Shakyamuni, the Dharma King.
Point Eighteen, on the words “If after the Buddha has passed into extinction / one can understand the meaning of this sutra, / he will be the eyes of the world / for heavenly and human beings.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: “The world” refers to the country of Japan. “The eyes” refers to the Buddha wisdom. The Lotus Sutra acts as the eyes of the world for heavenly and human beings. “Eyes” here refers to 南無妙法蓮華経. It is the eyes of the world for heavenly and human beings.
Again we may say that the eyes referred to here are the eyes of the various Buddhas. It is the Zen, Nembutsu, and True Word followers and their like who gouge out these eyes of the Buddhas, causing the eyes to be closed. But Nichiren and his followers, who now chant 南無妙法蓮華経—are we not the eyes of the world for heavenly and human beings?
Point Nineteen, on the words “If in that fearful age / one can preach this sutra for even a moment, / he will deserve to receive alms / from all heavenly and human beings.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: You should think about this one word “can.” The word “preach” means to preach 南無妙法蓮華経. Now Nichiren and his followers are the votaries who “can preach this sutra for even a moment.”
Point Twenty, on the words “This sutra is hard to uphold.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: All three types of learning are encompassed in this passage of the sutra. “The space-like immovable precepts, the space-like immovable meditation, and the space -like immovable wisdom—these three all together are transmitted under the name the Wonderful Law.”
Precepts pertain to the element of the body. Meditation pertains to the element of the mind. Wisdom pertains to the actions of the two elements of the body and the mind. The words “all together” in the statement above refer to the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, which is 南無妙法蓮華経. “Transmitted” indicates that it is transmitted to the ten thousand years of the Latter Day of the Law.
Now Nichiren and his followers chant 南無妙法蓮華経, putting into practice the doctrine that the provisional teachings do not lead to the attainment of the way but that the Lotus Sutra represents the real truth, and this corresponds to the precepts. The precepts are intended to prevent errors and put an end to evil.
The votary who upholds is certainly “a person assuredly and without doubt / will attain the Buddha way”, and this certainly corresponds to meditation.
The wisdom of the Buddhas of the three existences of past, present, and future is embraced and upheld in each single recitation of 妙法蓮華経, and this corresponds to wisdom.
These three types of learning correspond to skin, flesh, and bones, to the three bodies of a Buddha, to the three truths, to the three rules of preaching, and to the three kinds of wisdom.
https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/ott/PART-1/11
南無妙法蓮華経
南無
– http://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/dic/Content/N/12
妙法蓮華経 — http://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/dic/Content/M/147
ALACRITICAL WORDS OF A MYOHO MASTER STATES VERBATIM 