THE DHARMA FLOWER SUTRA SEEN THROUGH
THE ORAL TRANSMISSION OF NICHIREN DAISHÔNIN
ω

The Sutra on the White Lotus Flower-Like Mechanism
Of the Utterness Of the Dharma (Myôhô Renge Kyô),
The Nineteenth Chapter on the Meritorious
Virtues of the Teacher of the Dharma who
Propagates the Dharma Flower Sutra

Dharma who propagates the Dharma Flower Sutra.

The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra says that “the teacher of the Dharma” refers to the person who carries out the five practices of 1) receiving and holding to, 2) reading, 3) reciting, 4) explaining its meaning and 5) copying out the Dharma Flower Sutra. The term “meritorious virtues means the reward along with the fruition of purifying the six bodily senses of 1) seeing, 2) hearing, 3) smelling, 4) tasting, 5) bodily touch and 6) the mind which perceives dharmas. The point is that Nichiren and those that follow him reverently recite Nam Myôhô Renge Kyô which means to devote our lives to and found them on (Nam) the Utterness of the Dharma [entirety of existence] (Myôhô) permeated by the underlying white lotus flower-like mechanism of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect (Renge) in its whereabouts of the ten realms of dharmas (Kyô) and in this way are purifying their six organs of sense.

Therefore they become the teachers of the Dharma of Nam Myôhô Renge Kyô and are happy as individuals. The word “meritorious” also implies happiness and good fortune. It also has the connotation of happiness through having got rid of evil so that virtue can take its place. The words “meritorious virtue” denote opening up our inherent Buddha nature with our persons just as they are as well as implying the purification of our six organs of sense. You should convince yourselves that by doing the practice of the Dharma Flower Sutra as the text indicates you purify your six organs of sense.

Then at that time the Buddha addressed the completely evolved bodhisattva who had refused his own extinction into nirvana for the sake of the Buddha enlightenment of all sentient beings (bosatsu makasatsu, bodhisattva mahâsattva) Constant Zeal saying: If a convinced and believing man or woman were to accept and hold to, read, recite, explain its meaning as well as to copy out this Dharma Flower Sutra, such a person would acquire eight hundred meritorious virtues for the eyes, one thousand two hundred meritorious virtues for the nose, one thousand two hundred meritorious virtues for the tongue, eight hundred meritorious virtues for that person’s mind that perceives dharmas. This person will dignify his six organs of sense and purify them all.

The second important point with regard to the purification of the six organs of sense.

The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra says the meritorious virtue of the eyes is to be able to see that those people who hold no faith in the Dharma Flower Sutra will fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering [i.e. will never be happy or really become individuated]. Those who do hold faith in this sutra [i.e. the title and theme (daimoku) as well as all its implications] will open up their inherent Buddha nature with their persons just as they are. These are the meritorious virtues with regard to seeing. By reverently holding faith in the Dharma Flower Sutra one will acquire eight hundred meritorious virtues for the eyes. This word “eye” refers to the Dharma Flower Sutra. This particular sutric canon of the universal vehicle contains the essential point of all the Buddha teachings. Now, Nichiren and those that follow him reverently recite Nam Myôhô Renge Kyô which means to devote our lives to and found them on (Nam) the Utterness of the Dharma [entirety of existence] (Myôhô) permeated by the underlying white lotus flower-like mechanism of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect (Renge) in its whereabouts of the ten realms of dharmas (Kyô). So they acquire meritorious virtues of being able to look upon things as they really are. Also the same meritorious virtues can be applied to hearing, smelling, tasting, touching as well as to how the mind perceives dharmas.

Such convinced and believing men and women, with the eyes of flesh that were engendered by their parents, when their vision is purified will see all the mountains, forests, rivers and seas on the inside and outside of all the three thousand great thousands of worlds [i.e. the thousand times one thousand times one thousand worlds that constitute the domain of a Buddha which are centered around a Mount Sumeru in the form of a cross (sanzen daisen sekai)], as well as, as far down as the Hell of Incessant Suffering and upwards as far as the highest of the eighteen heavens in the world of form (Akanita ten, Akanishtha). These people will also see all the sentient beings in these various dimensions as well as all places where they will be reborn according to the causes, concomitancies, effects and requitals of their karma. These convinced and believing men and women will have a vision and knowledge that are full and complete. Thereupon the World Honoured One wishing to reiterate the significance of what he had said expressed it in the form of a metric hymn.

If there is anybody in this vast assembly
who with no doubts whatsoever
can explain this Dharma Flower Sutra,
then listen to the meritorious virtues
that will follow as a result.
This person will obtain
eight hundred well-deserved meritorious virtues for the eyes
and because of this enhancement
this person’s vision will be purified.
The eyes engendered by his parents
will see all the three thousands
of great thousands of worlds
both inside and outside Mount Sumeru
as well as its surrounding Iron Enclosure
with all the mountains, forests, great seas,
rivers, watercourses and other waters
also down as far as the Hell of Incessant Suffering
and upwards as far as the highest
of the eighteen heavens of the dimensions of form
along with all the sentient beings.
This person will see them just as they are.
Although such a person has not acquired
the vision of the devas,
this will be the sight
of this person’s mortal eyes.

Furthermore, Constant Zeal, if there are convinced and believing men or women who can receive and hold to this sutra, read it, recite it, explain its implications as well as copying it out, such persons will obtain one thousand meritorious virtues for their ears, whereby the hearing of these persons will be purified. Such people will hear [all that goes on] in the three thousands of great thousands of worlds [i.e. the thousand times another thousand times of worlds (existential dimensions) that constitute the domain of a Buddha which is centered around a Mount Sumeru in the form of a cross (sanzen daisen sekai)], as far down as the Hell of Incessant Suffering and upwards as far as the highest of the eighteen realms in the dimensions that have physical qualities (Akanita ten, Akanishtha). Such people will hear the sound of the various languages, the sounds of the voices inside and outside those existential dimensions, the trumpeting sound of elephants, the neighing of horses, the lowing of cattle, the sounds of chariots, the sounds of sobbing and crying, the sounds of grief and tears, the sounds of blowing conch shells, the sounds of drums, the sounds of temple bells and handbells, the sounds of laughter, the sounds of talking, the sounds of men, the sounds of women, the voices of young boys, the voices of young girls, the voices of the Dharma and those which are not, the sounds of suffering, the sounds of pleasure, the voices of ordinary people, the voices of the holy, the sounds of joy and those of sadness, the voices of the devas [who are like the gods in Mediterranean and Teutonic mythology], the voices of the dragons [as seen in Far Eastern art], the voices of the yaksha [yasha who were like the gnomes in Western folklore], the voices of the Kendabba [the gandharva who were celestial musicians], the voices of the ashuras [who are comparable to the titans or giants in Western folklore], the voices of the garura [the garura who were mythical exotic birds], the voices of the kinnara [the kinnara were also celestial musicians], the voices of the magoraga [the magoraga whose form was like a huge serpent], the noises of fire, the noises of water, the noises of the wind, the noises of hell, the noises of animals, the voices of craving demons (gaki, preta), the voices of monks, the voices of nuns, the voices of intellectual seekers (shômon), the voices of those who are partially enlightened (engaku), the voices of bodhisattvas and the voices of the Buddhas. Coming back to the point, such people who have done the practices of the Dharma Flower Sutra will hear all the sounds that are inside and outside the three thousands of great thousands of worlds [i.e. the thousand times a thousand times another thousand times of worlds (existential dimensions) that constitute the domain of a Buddha which is centered around a Mount Sumeru in the form of a cross (sanzen daisen sekai)].

Even though they are not endowed with the ears of the devas, the people who do the practices of the Dharma Flower Sutra will hear all these events with the ears of ordinary human beings that were engendered by their parents, but have been purified through their practice. [The implication of this sentence is that through the practice of the Dharma Flower Sutra, people will arrive at understanding life as it really is.] Those people will in this fashion hear and distinguish sounds and voices in all their varieties. Their faculties of hearing will in no way deteriorate. Thereupon the World Honoured One wishing to reiterate the significance of what he had said expressed it in the form of a metric hymn.

The ears that were engendered by their parents
will be purified and free from uncleanliness and pollution
so that with their ordinary ears they will hear
all the sounds of elephants, horses, chariots and cattle
as well as the sounds
of temple bells, handbells, conch shells and drums,
lyres, harps, lutes, oboes and flutes
along with pure and pleasant singing voices
all of which they will hear
without becoming attached to them.
Likewise the uncountable variety of human tongues
will all be heard with the ability to understand them.
Furthermore, they will hear the voices of the devas
along with the subtly marvelous quality of their melodies
and also the voices of men and women
as well as those of young boys and girls.
Where the rivers and streams
are enclosed by precipitous valleys
the voice of the karyôbinga (kalavinka) birds [who are described as birds with exotic voices that are found in the valleys of the Himalayas]
as well as the cries of other birds will be heard.
These people who do the practices of the Dharma Flower Sutra
will hear all the bitter painfulness of the hells
along with other kinds of venomous sounds,
such as hungry spirits tormented with hunger and thirst
in their search for food and drink
and all the giants and titans
living along the shore of the ocean
who when they talk to each other
raise their voices to their loudest.
A person who expounds the Dharma
in the correct manner
can reside among those beings in peace
as well as hearing the multitude of voices from afar.
Yet their hearing will not deteriorate.
Throughout the existential spaces (sekai)
of the ten directions
they will hear the birds and beasts
calling to each other,
as well as the Brahmanic devas above
or even as far as the highest heaven
where materiality still exists,
the sounds of their voices and conversations
will be heard.
At the same time the teacher and practitioner of the Dharma
who dwells here
will be able to hear everything.
All the assemblies of the monks
and also all the nuns
will be able to hear them all.
Again there are the bodhisattvas
who read and recite this sutric Dharma
or explain its meaning to others
and make choices as to how
they should expound it.
Also all this will be heard.
All the Buddhas who are wise, good and upright
in all their respective characters are truly venerable,
whose role is to convert sentient beings by instruction
and who in the midst of vast assemblies
expound the subtle Dharma of Utterness.
Those who hold to this Dharma Flower Sutra
will be able to hear everything
in all the three thousand great thousands of dimensions of existence
including all the voices and sounds
on the inside as well as the outside
down as far as the Hell of Incessant Suffering
and upwards as far as the limit of where form continues to exist.
The practitioners of the Dharma Flower Sutra
will hear all these sounds and voices
and their faculty of hearing will not deteriorate.
On account of their acuteness of hearing
they will be able to distinguish everything
and know what is going on.
As for the people who hold to the Dharma Flower Sutra,
even though they are not endowed with the hearing of the devas,
by using the ears they were born with
they will have the meritorious virtues such as these.

Among other things, Constant Zeal, if there is a believing and convinced man or woman who receives and holds to this sutra, who reads it, recites it and explains its meaning to others as well as copying it out, such persons will have attained eight hundred meritorious virtues (kudoku) for their olfactory capabilities. Through purifying their sense of smell, such persons will be able to perceive all the various kinds of odor in the totality of one thousand times one thousand times one thousand realms of existence all centered around their respective Mount Sumerus and spread out in the form of a crescent moon [i.e. the whole universe] as well as all that is above and below or inside and outside it. Such persons will be aware of the fragrance of the great flowered jasmine, marigolds, jasmine, gardenias, begonias, red lotuses, pale blue lotuses, white lotuses, the blossoms on trees as well as their fruits, the odor of sandalwood trees, the scent of tamâla leaves and the scent of tagara as well as all the thousands of myriads of kinds of perfume, whether they be in the form of powder or in the shape of tablets or ointments. Those who hold to this sutra, in spite of only living in this space of existence, will be able to distinguish what each particular odor is.

What is more, the practitioners of the Dharma Flower Sutra will be able to differentiate the odors of the various kinds of sentient beings, such as the odor of elephants, horses as well as cattle or sheep. They will be able to distinguish the odors of men, women, young boys and young girls, as well the scent of plants and trees, woodlands and forests. Whether such people are in the vicinity or whether they are far away, they will be able to distinguish all the different kinds of smell without making any mistakes at all. All those who hold to this sutra, even though they are living in this dimension, will be able to distinguish the fragrances of the bodies of the devas. They will even be aware of the odors of the twelve Taishaku (Shakra Devânâm Indra) [whose role is to protect our dimension of existence], when they are high above in their sublime palaces enjoying the delights of their five senses, or even the fragrance of all the devas of the thirty-three heavens when they are hearing the Dharma being expounded to them or the perfumes of the gardens that the devas enjoy. Such people who hold to this sutra will also be able to distinguish the odors of men and women even if they are a long distance away. In this way, proceeding from one item to the next, one reaches the heaven of Bonten (Brahma). Such people will be able to perceive the fragrances of all the deva incarnations of the dimensions where there exists no materiality whatsoever. The practitioners of the Dharma Flower Sutra will also be aware of the scent of the incense that the devas are burning as well as that of the intellectual seekers (shômon, shrâvaka), the people who are partially enlightened (hyakushibutsu, pratyekabuddha) along with the incense burned by the bodhisattvas (bosatsu). Also such people will perceive the fragrance of the bodies of the Buddhas and even if these odors are far away they will recognize where they come from. Naturally there will be no deterioration or defects in their sense of smell. If they wish to differentiate these odors and tell other people about it, their memories will not fail them. Thereupon the World Honoured One wishing to reiterate the significance of what he had said expressed it in the form of a metric hymn.

Even in the midst of this dimension of existence
people’s olfactory sensibilities will be purified
where they will sense fragrance or smell stenches
and will recognize all of them in their variety,
the fragrance of the great flowered jasmine or marigolds,
the scent of tamâra or that of sandalwood,
the incense of aguru and the odor of cinnamon,
as well as the scent of various kinds of flowers and fruits
or even the odor of sentient beings.
The practitioners of the Dharma Flower Sutra
will be aware of the odor of either men or women.
Even if they live far away
those practitioners will know their dwelling places.
The sovereigns of great authority whose chariot wheels
roll everywhere without hindrance
and even lesser sovereigns and princes,
ministers and people in the palaces,
their whereabouts will be known
on account of their odors
as well as the rare jewels on their persons
or even the treasures they have hidden in the ground.
Also the whereabouts of the bejeweled women
of the sovereigns whose chariot wheels
roll everywhere without hindrance
will be known due to their perfume.
Even the finery of the dignitaries
which includes their clothing and ornaments
and the different kinds of cosmetics they use
will be known from their bodily emanations,
or even if the devas are walking or sitting
or given over to pleasure
or have changed their form.
The people who hold to this Dharma Flower Sutra
will recognize everything according to its scent.
The flowers and fruits of all the trees
and the aroma of storax resin
will all be known due to their respective odors.
Those who hold to this sutra
and are living in this dimension
will be able to know where everything is
on account of all their odors.
All the deep inaccessible places in the mountains
where the sandalwood tree blossoms are in full bloom
and the sentient beings who inhabit such places
are all known due to their scent,
also the iron perimeters of Mount Sumeru and the ocean
as well as all the sentient beings that live there.
The person who holds to this sutra will know
where everything is due to its scent.
When the men and women of the giants or titans (Ashuras)
as well as those that follow them
are either fighting among themselves or having a good time
they will be thoroughly understood by their odor.
Also in places in the wilds
or where there are rugged slopes
the whereabouts of lions, elephants, tigers or wolves,
wild cattle, water buffaloes as well as other animals
will all be known due to their scent.
If any of these animals are pregnant
then it will be known if it is either male or female.
Or if it has no sex organs at all
then it must be something that is human yet not human.
Anyway it can be known by its smell.
Because of this olfactory power
practitioners will know if it is the beginning of a pregnancy
also as to whether the child will be born or not
or if the mother will give birth to a healthy child.
On account of this olfactory capacity
the practitioners will know the thoughts of men and women
whether they are soiled with lust or even their inanity
as well as the thoughts of those
that practice to do good.
Practitioners will know clearly
of people’s hidden treasures in the ground
of gold, silver or precious materials
or articles of bronze that have been ferreted away.
All this will be entirely known through their odor
as well as the various kinds of neck ornaments
girdles, collar bands or bracelets
whose value cannot really be known.
The practitioners will know by their smell
if such articles are valuable or worthless
also from whence they come or where they are now,
all the flowers in the heavens of the devas
coral tree flowers as well as mañjûshaka or paricitra [which fill the heavens with fragrance]
as well as all the places in the heavens above,
and are able to distinguish the uppermost, middling and lower
along with the flowers of precious materials
that decorate them.
All this can be perceived by the fragrances.
The heavenly gardens, woodlands and sublime palaces
as well as the turrets of the halls
for meditating on the Utterness of the Dharma,
even the pleasures that the devas enjoy
can all be known by their scent.
When the devas are listening to the Dharma
or when they are simply taking part
in the pleasure of their five desires [1) wealth, 2) sex, 3) eating and drinking, 4) fame, 5) sleep],
whether they are coming or going,
walking or sitting or lying down,
all this can be known through the practitioner’s sense of smell.
The clothes that are worn by the female devas,
as well as the scent of the flowers
of the perfumes that they adorn themselves with
or when they are elegantly enjoying their social lives,
can all be known by their odors.
In this way going further up
until one reaches the heavens of the Brahmas (Bonten)
along with those who enter into deep meditation
or those who are coming out of deep meditation,
all this can be known due to
the practitioner’s sense of smell.
The devas of universal pure light
as well as those that inhabit the realms
that are the final limits where physicality exists
[when devas] are first born
or their descent into religious backsliding
can all be known due to their odors.
All the assemblies of monks
who are constantly zealous
in their pursuit of the Dharma,
whether they are sitting
or whether they are reading
or reciting the sutra of the Dharma
or whether they are under the trees
of the woodlands and forests
especially willing in their efforts
to hold a perfect absorption
into the single object of their meditation (sanmai, samâdhi),
those who hold to this sutra
by using their olfactory powers
can know where all these people are.
The bodhisattvas whose resolution is solidly firm,
whether they are seated intently absorbed
into the one object of their meditation
or whether they are reading the sutras
or else they are expounding
the Dharma to the people,
can also be known by their odors.
The World Honoured Ones
in every direction of the compass
who are all venerated and esteemed
and explain the Dharma with compassion
to their respective assemblies
can also be known by their odors.
The sentient beings
in the presence of the Buddha
all listen to this sutra with joy.
Those who practice according to this Dharma
can also be known by their odors.
Even though their olfactory sensibilities are
not yet like those of the bodhisattvas
whose sense of smell is not obstructed
by troublesome worries (bonnô)
yet those who hold to this sutra
will attain a sense of smell
that has the characteristics thus described.

What is more, Constant Zeal, if there is a believing and convinced man or woman who can accept and hold to this sutra, read it, recite it as well as explaining its meaning or even copying it out, then such persons will obtain a thousand two hundred virtuous merits for their tongues. Whether a given taste be either pleasant or disagreeable, either fine tasting or not or even bitter or pungent, all these tastes on touching that person’s tastebuds will all become delicious like the taste of the honey dew of the devas. There is no taste that will be disagreeable. If these persons should have to make a discourse in the midst of the assembly they will speak with a sublime and deep voice that will resound in people’s minds so as to make them happy and at ease. Furthermore, all the children of the devas, female devas (tennyo, devi), all the Indras and Brahmas and other devas, on hearing these sublime and deep voices enunciating the words of the dissertations, will all come to listen to them.

Also all the dragons (Nâga) [as depicted in far-eastern art], female dragons, yasha (yaksha) [who are like gnomes or dwarves in northern European folklore and are guardians of the Buddha teaching], female yasha, kendabba (Gandharva) [who are the musicians of the heavenly realm of Taishaku (Indra)], female kendabba, ashura (shura) [who are comparable to the titans of Mediterranean mythology or giants and ogres in northern European folklore], female ashuras, karura (garuda) [who are mythical birds and are mortal enemies of the dragons], female karura, kinnara (kimnara) [who are also heavenly musicians with human torsos and whose lower body is like that of a paradisiacal bird], female kinnara and magoraga (mahorâga) [who are mythical giant serpents from the Brahmanic pantheon who crawl on their chests] along with female magoraga, who in order to listen to the Dharma will come reverently to make offerings as well as to be in close attendance to these people with sublime and deep voices, also monks, nuns, lay male believers, lay female believers, sovereigns, princes, their ministers and all their following, also lesser holy rulers whose chariot wheels roll everywhere without hindrance, major holy rulers whose chariot wheels roll everywhere without hindrance, will all come to listen to them.

In addition to bringing their treasures of the seven precious materials [1) gold, 2) silver, 3) lapis lazuli, 4) crystal, 5) agate, 6) ruby, 7) cornelian] they were also accompanied by their thousands of offspring as well as their respective retinues of either inside their palaces or outside them. They all came concurrently in order to listen to the Dharma. Because these bodhisattvas were all capable of expounding the Dharma extremely well, Brahmins, householders (koji) and people of the kingdoms all vowed to make offerings to the assembly for the rest of their lives. Again the people who exerted themselves to attain the highest stage of the teachings of the individual vehicle through listening to the Buddha [i.e. the intellectual seekers of today] (shômon, shrâvaka), people who were partially enlightened due to their affinity with the arts, literature, music and all the branches of science and medicines (hyakushibutsu, pratyekabuddha), bodhisattvas, as well as the Buddhas, always had pleasure in seeing those people who were so capable of explaining the Dharma. All the Buddhas expounded the Dharma, facing in the direction where these practitioners of the Dharma Flower Sutra were situated. These were people who could hold to all the teachings of the Dharma of the Buddha, whose voices also reverberated sublimely and deeply. Thereupon the World Honoured One, wishing to reiterate the meaning of what he had said, expressed it in the form of a metric hymn.

When the faculty of taste of such persons is purified
then they will never know what flavour is.
Everything that these people chew
will all have the taste of honey dew.
With a voice that is made pure
such people in the midst of the vast assembly
will make clear what the Dharma is
through the means of explaining causes, concomitancies
and through similes
they attract and guide the minds of sentient beings
so that all those that listen will be filled with joy
and make offerings to all these practitioners.
All the devas, dragons, yasha (yaksha) [gnomes] and ashura (shura) [titans]
with a mind of reverence
will come and listen to the Dharma.
Such persons who expound the Dharma
will, if they desire it, make their sublime voices
reverberate through the totality
of one thousand times one thousand
times one thousand realms of existence,
all centered around their respective Mount Sumerus
and spread out in the shape of a crescent moon (sanzen daisen sekai) [i.e. the whole universe]
and will be able to express their intentions.
Both the greater and the lesser sovereigns
whose chariot wheels
roll everywhere without hindrance
as well as their retinues and thousands of offspring
will with their palms pressed together
and a mind full of reverence
always come to listen to and accept the Dharma.
All the devas, dragons, yasha (yaksha) [gnomes]
and various cannibal demons with minds full of joy
will always find pleasure in making offerings
as well as the sovereigns of the brahmanic devas
and the sovereigns of the demons (ma’ô),
the sovereign whose mind is free of all delusion
and the universal sovereign
whose mind is entirely free from delusion (Shiva).
Such multitudes of devas
will constantly come to where the practitioners are.
All the Buddhas and their disciples
on hearing the sounds of the exposition of the Dharma
such practitioners will always be borne in mind
and at times the Buddhas
will appear to them in physical form.

Furthermore, Constant Zeal, if there are convinced and believing men or women who can accept and hold to this sutra, who read it, recite it, as well as explaining its meaning or even copying it out, such practitioners will attain eight hundred virtuous merits (kudoku) for their physical bodies. They will have bodies that are pure and immaculate like lapis lazuli. Sentient beings will derive pleasure from seeing them.

The third important point on the comparison to a pure bright mirror which is referred to in the last two sentences in the above passage: “They will have bodies that are pure and immaculate as lapis lazuli. Sentient beings will take delight in looking at them.”
[Lapis lazuli is a blue mineral containing sodium aluminum silicate and sulphur which is used as a gemstone; also it was ground down into a bright blue pigment for paint. In Buddhist texts this mineral is described as one of the seven precious materials.]

The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra states that the comparison to a mirror in the text is clearly explained as people who have purified their six organs of sense through practice and will be like a clear mirror of lapis lazuli in which they will perceive the totality of one thousand times another thousand times one thousand realms of existence all centered around their respective Mount Sumerus and spread out like a crescent moon (sanzen daisen sekai). [All this entails the whole of existence as each individual understands it. The real benefit of our teaching is to comprehend the whole of reality according to all the implications of Nam Myôhô Renge Kyô.]

Now, Nichiren and those that follow him reverently recite Nam Myôhô Renge Kyô which means to devote our lives to and found them on (Nam) the Utterness of the Dharma [entirety of existence] (Myôhô) permeated by the underlying white lotus flower-like mechanism of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect (Renge) in its whereabouts of the ten realms of dharmas (Kyô), so they perceive and understand all that exists from their respective standpoints or frames of reference as though it were reflected in a clear mirror [i.e. each practitioner is able to understand his own reality]. This clear mirror is the Dharma Flower Sutra [in the sense that it is all that is written out on the Fundamental object of Veneration] and in particular it is the Chapter on the Stupa made of Precious Materials which Nichiren describes as “Outside of such a stupa made of precious materials like this, there are no other [five] ideograms for Myôhô Renge Kyô on this stupa made of precious materials; it becomes inseparable (soku) from all sentient beings; all sentient beings are dharmas that are made up of the white lotus flower-like mechanism of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect that runs through the entirety of existence (Myôhô Renge Kyô)” [Gosho Zenshû, p. 797]. Again it is the clear mirror that reflects the whole of our minds.

In the sentences referred to in the sutric text, there are the two similes of “lapis lazuli” and a “clear mirror”. In this passage the sense of bodily touch of the practitioner is immaculately pure. Since physicality and mind are not separate from each other [even in dreams and in the intermediary state between dying and rebirth we have at least a body that we have produced from our imaginations, [i.e. yid kyi lus], so how can this concept of immaculate purity be fractionalized as it is earlier on in the sutric text? Purity is explained as standing in contrast to impurity, and clearness is the opposite unclearness. The mirror in this case represents the single-mindedness of the practitioner. So within the three-fold concept of reality of the doctrine of Tendai (kû, ke, chû) the idea of purity [which stands in contrast to impurity, soiled etc.] indicates the provisional or superficial quality as being purely phenomenal (ke). In this text Nichiren implies that the clearness of the mirror is its inherent quality which in this case is its “relativity or kû”. But the mirror itself is the middle way of reality (chû), in which all forms and images are visible. The word “all” in this particular phrase refers to the ten [psychological] realms of dharmas (jikkai). [These are 1) the sufferings of the hells (jigokukai), 2) the cravings and wanting of hungry ghosts (gakikai), 3) the limited possibilities of intelligence and instinctive qualities of animality (chikushôkai), 4) the extravagant behaviour and anger of the ashuras or titans (shurakai), 5) the ordinary level of human equanimity (jinkai), 6) passing ecstasies of the devas and the fleeting quality of our personal joys (tenkai), 7) the various realms of the intellectual seekers (shômonkai), 8) the psychological dimensions of people who are partially enlightened due to their affinities with the arts, literature, music or all the various branches of science or philosophy (engakukai), 9) people who seek enlightenment not only for themselves but also for others (bosatsukai), 10) the fully enlightened state of the Buddha who knows the truth of all things (bukkai).]

As a result the pure clear mirror represents the two dharmas of materiality and mind. This entails the whole of the composition of the whereabouts of the realms of dharmas whose underlying white lotus flower-like mechanism of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect permeates the entirety of existence (Myôhô Renge Kyô). The pure clear mirror stands for the mind of faith as well as the practitioner’s ability to perceive the totality of one thousand times one thousand times one thousand realms of existence, each realm centered around its Mount Sumeru and spread out in the form of a crescent moon (sanzen daisen sekai). This entails our physical bodies (shiki). All individuals have their own but differing capabilities of perception (ju), which produce fantasies, dreams, thoughts, ideas and concepts (sô) that are also influenced by thoughts and habits acquired from previous lives and deaths (gyô). When all these four previous “aggregates” are put together, this constitutes the totality of an individual’s personality (go’on seken), which is the existential space of the five aggregates that form an individual, as well as what the driving tendencies of each individual are in terms of the ten realms of dharmas [i.e. is the behaviour of such a person that of human equanimity (jinkai) or that of a giant or ogre (shurakai)?] which is the existential space of sentient beings (shujô seken) and finally where and in what social context this behaviour takes place (kokudo seken). [This entails the idea that with the practice of the Dharma Flower Sutra we will be able to understand our own and other people’s lives in terms of the one instant of mental activity including the totality of all psychological functions (ichinen sanzen).]

Because their bodies are pure they will be able to see the sentient beings throughout the totality of one thousand times one thousand times a thousand realms of existence all centered around their respective Mount Sumerus and spread out in the form of a crescent moon (sanzen daisen sekami) as to when these sentient beings are born or when they die or whether they are of interest or unimportant, good-looking or ugly or whether they are born in good surroundings or in circumstances that are not so good. All this will be made apparent to those practitioners, as well as all the iron mountain ranges that encircle the various Mount Sumerus, Mount Merus and the Mount Mahâmerus along with all the sovereign mountains. All of the sentient beings that inhabit these mountain areas will also be visible. Those practitioners will see deep down as far as the Hells of Incessant Suffering and upwards as far as the limits of where form continues to exist. All the sentient beings in all these regions will be seen. If there are people who exert themselves to attain the highest stage of the teachings of the individual vehicle through listening to the Buddhas (shômon, shrâvaka), people who are partially enlightened due to their affinities with the arts, music, literature or any of the branches of science or medicine (engaku, pratyekabuddha), bodhisattvas or Buddhas who are explaining the Dharma, all of them will be reflected on the bodies of these practitioners of the Dharma Flower Sutra. Thereupon the World Honoured One wishing to reiterate the significance of what he had said expressed it in the form of a metric hymn.

Those people who hold to the Dharma Flower Sutra
will have bodies that are immaculately pure
in the same way as lapis lazuli is purity itself.
This will give sentient beings pleasure to see them
or their bodies will be like clear bright mirrors
in which all forms and images are reflected
on the purity of the bodies of bodhisattvas
who will see everything that there is in the realms of existence
which will only be evident to the practitioners themselves.
Other people will not see a thing.
Throughout the totality of one thousand times one thousand times
a thousand realms of existence all centered around their respective Mount Sumerus
and spread out in the form of a crescent moon (sanzen daisen sekai),
practitioners will see all the abundance of events that occur
among the devas, humankind, titans or giants (shura)
as well as demons of hell and the uncouthness of humankind (chikushô).
All their shapes and images will be seen in this fashion.
The devas in their palaces
and upwards as far as the point where form ceases to exist,
the iron mountain ranges that surround the realms of existence
Mount Meru, Mount Mahâmeru
as well as all the waters and oceans,
all will become apparent on his person.
The Buddhas as well as the intellectual seekers (shômon, shrâvaka)
faithful followers of the Buddha and bodhisattvas
whether they are on their own
or living in communities
as they explain the Dharma they will become manifest.
Even though they are not yet free from their troublesome worries (bonnô)
or have attained the entity of Utterness,
their ordinary physical bodies by being made immaculately pure
everything will become visible to them.

In addition to all this, Constant Zeal, if there are believing and convinced men or women who after the Tathâgata’s extinction into nirvana accept and hold to this sutra, either read it, recite it or explain its meaning or copy it out, they will effectuate one thousand two hundred meritorious virtues for their minds. With their mental faculties that have become immaculately pure, they will, on hearing a single metric hymn or a single sentence, be able to unravel and penetrate these profound implications and they will be capable of making dissertations on either this single metric hymn or sentence for a month, four months or even a year.

The Dharma that these practitioners expound is in conformity to the content of its meaning and is never in contradiction to reality. Even if they discuss texts or classics that belong to the ordinary world, these ideas of government, the way people should behave and the rules of commerce are all expressed in terms of the correct Dharma. They will be fully aware of the sentient beings who are born throughout the six directions of incarnation (rokushu) [1) hells, 2) hungry ghosts, 3) animality, 4) ashuras (shura) i.e. giants or titans, 5) human equanimity, 6) devas] that pervade the totality of one thousand times one thousand times one thousand realms of existence all centered around their respective Mount Sumerus and spread out in the shape of a crescent moon (sanzen daisen sekami), the way their minds work, the things that they do on account of their thought processes and all their thoughts that are futile. Although these practitioners have not yet attained a wisdom that is entirely free from troublesome worries (bonnô), their mental faculties will be immaculately pure. Everything that these people are capable of thinking of and expressing will be entirely the Dharma of the Buddha, not lacking in authenticity in any way and will have already been expounded in previous sutras of the Tathâgata. Thereupon the World Honoured One, wishing to reiterate the significance of what he had said, expressed it in the form of a metric hymn.

Such people by having their minds made immaculately pure
will be clear and astute without any filth or defilement.
On account of their sublime mental faculties
they will know the superior, middling and inferior teachings (hô, dharma)
so that on hearing one metric hymn
they will grasp the infinite meanings contained in it.
They will expound it progressively according to the Dharma
for a month, four months or even a year.
All the sentient beings
within or outside this realm of existence (sekai) of ours
whether they be devas, dragons or humankind
or gnomes (yasha, yaksha) or demonic spirits
who are within the six directions of incarnation (rokushu),
as well as the way all these beings think
will, on account of the recompense of the Dharma Flower Sutra,
be entirely known simultaneously.
The uncountable Buddhas of the ten directions
who are adorned with hundreds of felicitous bodily marks
explain the Dharma for the benefit of sentient beings.
The practitioner will hear all of it and keep it mind.
Through pondering over the boundless implications
their explanations of the Dharma will be without limits.
From the beginning to the end of this sutra
these practitioners will never forget anything or make any mistakes
on account of their holding to the Dharma Flower Sutra.
They will know the aspect of all dharmas (shohô, sarvadharma)
and according to circumstances they will be aware of their meaning.
By knowing letters and languages
they will make their expositions according to their knowledge.
All that these practitioners expound
will be the Dharma of all the previous Buddhas.
Because they expound this Dharma
these practitioners will find themselves full of assurance in the assembly.
Those who hold to the Dharma Flower Sutra
will have their mental functions purified in this manner.
Even though they are not yet free of their troublesome worries (bonnô)
they will indeed have these qualities.
The person who holds to this sutra
dwells upon an exceptional ground in serenity.

The fourth important point on the last two lines of the above metric hymn, “The person who holds to this sutra dwells upon an exceptional ground in serenity.”

The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra says that “the Person” is, out of all the sentient beings of the country of Japan, the practitioner of the Dharma Flower Sutra. “The exceptional ground” is a reference to his fundamental enlightenment evinced in the original archetypal terrain of the Sixteenth Chapter on the Lifespan of the Tathâgata which has its practical manifestation as the Fundamental Object of Veneration as well as its ruling principle that is Nam Myôhô Renge Kyô. Again it is in the Seventeenth Chapter on Discerning the Meritorious Virtues where it says, “The Buddha explains an exceptional Dharma.” What is exceptional is Nam Myôhô Renge Kyô in particular.

Now, Nichiren and those that follow him reverently recite Nam Myôhô Renge Kyô which means to devote our lives to and found them on (Nam) the Utterness of the Dharma [entirety of existence] (Myôhô) permeated by the underlying white lotus flower-like mechanism of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect (Renge) in its whereabouts of the ten realms of dharmas (Kyô). “The exceptional ground is the Fundamental Object of Veneration which is the bright mirror that is to be broadly diffused during the final phase of the Dharma of Shākyamuni.”

Generally speaking, the meritorious virtues attained through the purification of the six faculties of sense [which are 1) sense of sight, 2) sense of hearing, 3) sense of smell, 4) sense of taste, 5) sense of touch and 6) the faculty of the intellect] can be equated to the ten stages of faith of the teaching of the provisional universal vehicle (gondaijôkyô) and the semblance of purity in the six stages of Tendai’s bodhisattva development (rokusoku). [In the teachings of the provisional vehicle there are fifty-two stages in the process of becoming a Buddha: ten stages of faith (jusshin), ten stages of security (jûjû), ten stages of practice (jûgyô), ten stages of devotion (jûeho), ten stages of development (jûji), the stage of approaching enlightenment (tôgaku) and the stage of complete enlightenment (myôgaku). These ten stages stand in contrast to the six stages of bodhisattva development in Tendai’s perfect teaching (rokusoku) which are 1) the realization that all beings have a Buddha nature (risoku), 2) the apprehension of the Buddhist terminology and that those who only hear and believe in the Buddha teaching are themselves potentially enlightened (myôjisoku). 3) This is an advance beyond mere Buddhist terms to undertaking to do the real practice (kangyôsoku). 4) The is the semblance to the perfection in purity (sôjisoku) which is the apparent purification of the six senses which in the teachings of the provisional universal vehicle (gond aijôkyô) can be equated with the ten stages of faith (jusshin). 5) Understanding the truth of the Buddha teaching and its progressive experiential proof (bunshinsoku) – in terms of all provisional universal vehicles this stage would correspond to the ten stages of security, the ten stages of development, the stage of approaching enlightenment (togaku). All these stages are also referred to as the causes of holiness (sho’in). 6) The sixth stage of Tendai’s bodhisattva development (kukyôsoku) in other teachings is understood as (myôgaku) utter enlightenment or (shôka) the fruition of holiness.] The Bodhisattva Constant Zeal was the person to whom the Buddha was speaking and was the representative of the assembly in this particular chapter. He also symbolizes the third of the ten stages of faith in the provisional teachings which is defined as “a faith full of zeal”. However it should be understood that during this final phase of the Dharma of Shākyamuni (mappô), the Bodhisattva Constant Zeal represents the practitioners of the Dharma Flower Sutra because the people who hold to this sutra are earnest and observant.

All sentient beings will venerate these practitioners with joy
who with a thousand myriads
of different kinds of skillful modes of expression
will in expounding the Dharma pick out all the details,
because these people hold to the Dharma Flower Sutra.

End of the sixth fascicle [scroll].