Myohorengekyo Hosshihon Dai Ju(10) THE TEACHER OF LAW
In this article, the knowledge of the teacher of the law is described in the form of talking to Medicine-King Bodhisattva. A teacher of the law is a person who spreads the teachings of the Buddha to the world, and there is no distinction between a resident or a priest.
Generally speaking, it is a priest who has leave home as a teacher of law, but in this case, all those who cultivate “The Lotus Sutra” are teachers of law. Buddha is preached that if there is a person who despises the person who cultivates "The Lotus Sutra", the sin is heavier than to the Buddha. This is because “The Lotus Sutra” is the first sutra among various sutras.
The main point of the chapter 10
Anyone who preaches the Lotus Sutra after disappear of Tathagata is the bodhisattva. Therefore, it is an errand of Tathagata that should be nourished as well. This is because those who preach, hear, and rejoice in the Lotus Sutra are those who have been nourished in various ways in the past and were born as humans because of the mercy of those who suffer.
In other words, they are people who dare to receive the suffering of people and suffering around themselves and show “The Lotus Sutra”. The suffering is more than when Tathagata is exists. So, They should enter the room of the Tathagata means the great compassion, wear the robe of the Tathagata means to be gentle and patient, and sit on the seat of Tathagata means to see the voidness of all things.
In this three ways, It is necessary to keep having "The Lotus Sutra".
Nichiren Shu Ishikawa Dojo statement
The Merits of a gatha or a phrase of the Lotus Sutra
"Medicine-King, in this mass, there are many persons in the heavenly world, those in the human world, those who live in the sky and the sea, those who are monks and laymen in men and women, and those who seek a variety of enlightenment. If there are those who listen to the glory or phrase of the Lotus Sutra , and if they are really grateful for a moment, I will assure them of their future Buddhahood, That person will surely gain the enlightenment of the Buddha, ”Buddha said.
And it is said that the guarantee of Buddha can be obtained even in the late life after the extinction of Buddha.
"GOSHU HOSSI" The five types of low teachers
Five important trainings to promote “Lotus Sutra”, this is called “The Five Kinds of Law”. The five training are holding, reading, worshiping, explaining, and handwriting“Lotus Sutra”. Since ancient times, holding is called ”SHOUGYOU"meaning main training, and reading, worshiping, explaining, and handwriting are called ”JOGYOU" meaning assistance trainings.
The main training of holding "Lotus Sutra" is to deeply believe in "Lotus Sutra" and continue to practice it. Reading an assistant is to read by yourself while watching "Lotus Sutra". Or listen to others reading. Worshiping is to speak out without looking at the sutra. Read it not only in your mouth but also in your heart. Explanation is to explain a teaching to a person. By preaching to others, you will understand the deep meaning of yourself. Handwriting is copying a scripture. This can be used to cultivate teaching and to deepen one's own devotion.
The reading, worshiping, explaining, and handwriting of the assistance are intended to help the holding of the main training. Just reading, explaining, or copying the text has no meaning. The five types of law teachers have a faith in “Lotus Sutra” at the root, deepen and spreading them.
The messenger of the Tathagata "NYORAI"
It is said that those who preach a phrase of “Lotus Sutra” are the errands. This Buddha's messenger does "NYORAI NO JI"as a substitute. “NYORAI NO JI” is a Buddha's work to save all living beings. A person who preaches a phrase of “Lotus Sutra” is a person who performs what Buddha does as a substitute for Buddha.
The Three Power and Buddha's Protect
For those who believe in “Lotus Sutra” in the late life, and who want to cultivate it, they must have the great power of faith, the power of vows, and the power of roots of good. Don't be.
The great power of faith is to be convinced that the teaching of “Lotus Sutra” is an absolute truth, and to believe that this teaching is immortal. If you have great power of faith, you will have the power to teach others this teaching. This power is called the power of vows. The power of vows is the desire to save all living beings.
Furthermore, the power of roots of good are required. It is the fundamental power that makes every good. The basis for doing good is to know the realities of the laws. By knowing the true way of everything, we take the significance of its existence. By having this great power of faith, power of vows, and power of roots of good, you can make a activities that do not spare life in any difficulty.
The metaphor of digging a hole to get water on a plateau
In this process, a metaphor where water is obtained by digging a well in the plateau is explained. This metaphor was preached to severely warn that the heart of malaise would arise. It is not easy to dig a well on the plateau to get water.
At first, only dry soil comes out, no matter how much you dig, no water comes out. However, if you dig further without being disappointed, you will gradually get wet soil. If you dig further, mud will come out. If mud comes out, water is near. You will surely get neat water.
The mud is likened to a bodhi-sattva and neat water is likened to a Buddha. If you go to the mud that is the path of the bodhi-sattva, you will surely end up in a Buddha. The problem of faith is the same as this, and if you stop it just because it is a little devoted and ineffective, you won't get the way of Buddha. Then it is not good, and it is important to continue digging one well as much as possible.
"GUKYO-NO-SANKI" Three gauge of spreading the law Enter the room,wear the robu, and sit on the seat of the Tathagata
To preach “Lotus Sutra”, enter the room of the Tathagata, wear the robu of the Tathagata, and sit on the seat of the Tathagata.
The first "the room of the Tathagata “ means having a great compassion that can enter the heart of the spirit of all the people, as“ the mercy of all the people in the world ”. Speaking of familiar things, love people around you.
The second,it is explained that wearing the robe is “To be gentle and patient”. Whatever you encounter, no matter how terrible you are, no matter how bad you are, your heart will never be overwhelmed.This is meaning "Forgive your hard work against you".
The third “The seat of the Tathagata” is the heart that sees everything equally. In the sutra, "To see the voidness of all things". Some people are smart and some are bad. Some people are healthy, others are ill. The view of discrimination is that every person has a different personality. It can be seen as an equal person from the Buddha's eyes. They all have Buddha nature, and if they practice, they can become Buddhas and are equal. This way of looking is the “To see the voidness of all things” view. It is to forget about the small self that is caught.