BUDDHISM: AN OVERVIEW
Buddhism is the body of religious teachings attributed to or associated with Shakyamuni (also known as the Buddha, Gautama Buddha or Siddhartha). The exact dates of Shakyamuni's life remain unclear. Buddhist scholars, however, generally agree that he lived between the fifth and seventh centuries BC. According to tradition. Buddhism began when Shakyamuni sought a way to transcend human suffering, in particular the four sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death. In a moment of profound religious inspiration, he awakened to the fundamental reality of life and the universe, a condition known as enlightenment or Buddhahood. Based on this realization, Shakyamuni taught a way for all people to overcome suffering by challenging negative or difficult circumstances thereby fulfilling their potential. In the 50 years he is believed to have spent preaching in India, Shakyamuni left behind many teachings that were committed to writing in later ages and called sutras. Some sutras point out that the basic causes of suffering are attachments to transient phenomena such as fame and wealth. He urges followers to break their ties to mundane desires and the impermanent world. Others, in particular the Lotus Sutra, hold that people can overcome suffering by learning to control desires and direct them towards positive ends. Buddhism, which originated in India and spread gradually throughout much of Asia, reached Japan in the mid-6th century. Nichiren, a Buddhist teacher in 13th-century Japan, gave central importance to the Lotus Sutra and taught people to develop their Buddha nature-the potential for enlightenment inherent in all life - and emphasized the importance of helping others attain enlightenment. This mode of living is known as the bodhisattva way. Nichiren Buddhism, therefore, is not an ascetic or reclusive religion but a socially-engaged philosophy that brings about tangible and positive changes in people's lives.
On April 30, 2002, during the first day of the Spring Training Course in Japan, an SGI Representatives Meeting was held with 205 SGI leaders representing 50 countries, together with members of the SGI Board of Directors. The form of gongyo was one of many subjects discussed. It was agreed that reciting the essential portions of the "Expedient Means" and "Life Span" chapters of the Lotus Sutra, commonly referred to as Parts A & C, will be the new SGI standard gongyo practice.
Nichiren Daishonin did not prescribe a particular format for reciting the sutra. The practice of five and three recitations is not what the Daishonin himself articulated; the priesthood formulated it many years after the Daishonin's lifetime and second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda adopted it on behalf of the lay practitioners after World War II.
It is clear that Nichiren Daishonin encouraged the recitation of the "Expedient Means" (Hoben) and "Life Span" (Juryo) chapters in addition to the primary practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo; but he did not prescribe a specific format or number of repetitions for the sutra recitation. The current practice of five recitations in the morning and three in the evening evolved over the centuries and has been modified with the changing times.
The Daishonin wrote about chanting daimoku and reciting portions of the "Expedient Means" and "Life Span" chapters. The format we are adopting does not mean that gongyo has been made less assiduous, or easier. What we've been calling the "full" gongyo of five and three sutra recitations originated with Nichiren Shoshu. The priests at one time would go to five different buildings on the head temple grounds to conduct gongyo. Later, instead of doing one prayer at each of five different locations, they did all five prayers in one place. For us, since we only do gongyo in one place, reciting the sutra portions once is natural and appropriate.
Now, at the start of the 21st century, as more and more people have come to seek Nichiren Buddhism, the most important thing is to emphasize chanting daimoku. When people do A and C gongyo with abundant daimoku, that is
certainly an assiduous practice.
If one has time, it is more valuable to spend it chanting daimoku, the primary practice of the Daishonin's Buddhism.
There was a clear consensus among all the SGI representatives to adopt the new format of gongyo.
The following quotes from the Daishonin and SGI President Ikeda address the importance of reciting the sutra. "Though no chapter of the Lotus Sutra is negligible, among the entire twenty-eight chapters, the 'Expedient Means' chapter and the 'Life Span' chapter are particularly outstanding. The remaining chapters are all in a sense the branches and leaves of these two chapters. Therefore, for your regular recitation, I recommend that you practice reading the prose sections of the 'Expedient Means' and 'Life Span' chapters." ("The Recitation of the 'Expedient Means' and 'Life Span' Chapters," The Writings of
Nichiren Daishonin, p. 71)
"As you know, chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, or the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, is termed the 'primary practice' and reading or reciting the 'Expedient Means' and 'Life Span" chapters is called the 'supplementary practice' or 'supporting practice'.
"... The benefit from carrying out the primary practice is immense. When you also recite the 'Expedient Means' and 'Life Span' chapters, it has the supplementary function of increasing and accelerating the beneficial power of
the primary practice. Our basic way of gongyo is to chant daimoku as its primary component and recite the 'Expedient Means' and 'Life Span' chapters as the supplementary." (Lectures on the "Expedient Means" and "Life Span" Chapters of the Lotus Sutra, Daisaku Ikeda, pp. 16"17)
"During the Daishonin's time, as well, his followers recited these two chapters." (Lectures on the "Expedient Means" and "Life Span" Chapters of the Lotus Sutra, Daisaku Ikeda, pp. 18"19)
View My Guestbook
