THIS MONTH’S DHARMA TALK

From this month on, I would like to share the meaning of the sutra that we always chant during the services. Especially this time, I would like to focus on Chapter II of the Lotus Sutra. We always chant the sutra as "Myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo Ho-ben-pon Dai-ni, Ni-ji-se-son Ju-san-mai...". Now, I would like to try to chant that part in English. "The Lotus Sutra Chapter II Expedient Means, Thereupon the World-Honored One emerged quietly from his samadhi and said to Shariputra..." Mu... Honestly, there are so many unknown Indian words and big English words in the sutra that it is hard to understand. Therefore, I would like to explain the meaning of that part briefly in simple English.

"One day, on a mountain in India, Buddha Shakyamuni was meditating for a long time. Monks and people were all sitting around him and waiting for his preaching. Buddha quietly woke up from his meditation and suddenly began talking to his smartest student named Shariputra".

His Japanese name is Sharihotsu, but his Indian name is Shariputra. What did Buddha say to him? He said that:

"My wisdom is infinitely profound and immeasurable. The door to this wisdom is difficult to enter. No one understands it. Therefore, I have been using expedient means to lead people to the wisdom".

And, Buddha said this without being asked by anyone, which was unusual.

"Stop, Shariputra, I will say no more, because the real aspect of all things and matters can only be understood between Buddhas. The real aspect of all things and matters consists of the looks, personality, body, power, work, cause, relation, result, effect, and their consistency from beginning to end".

Monks and people around Buddha Shakyamuni were surprised by his preaching. No one asked him to say anything, but, he began to talk to Shariputra and suddenly said that his wisdom is too difficult for the monks to understand. They must have thought: "what was going on?"

Actually, Buddha Shakyamuni wanted to know whether or not those monks and people were ready to hear his highest teaching. At the end, Buddha Shakyamuni explained a very important teaching about the real aspect of all things existing around us and of matters happening around us.

He said that the real aspect of all things and matters consists of ten elements which are "looks", "personality", "body", "power", "work", "cause", "relation", "result", "effect" and "consistency from beginning to end".

"Looks". We chant it as "Nyo-ze-so." Everyone has their looks. You have your looks. Even this plastic cup has its own looks. (Showing the plastic cup to congregation.)

"Personality". We chant it as "Nyo-ze-sho." You have your personality. Does this cup have its personality? Yes, it does. This cup is hard.

"Body". We chant it as "Nyo-ze-tai." You have your body that has your looks and personality inside. This cup has its looks and personality of hardness.

"Power". We chant it as "Nyo-ze-riki." Your body, that has your looks and personality, has power. This cup also has the power to hold liquid inside.

"Work". We chant it as "Nyo-ze-sa." If you have power, you can work. This cup can work as a plastic cup. If I'm thirsty, I can drink water with this cup.

"Cause". We chant it as "Nyo-ze-in." If you work, you cause something. This cup also causes something. For example, this causes me to be able to drink water.

"Relation". We chant it as "Nyo-ze-en." When you cause something, it creates a relationship. This cup creates a relation with me.

"Result". We chant it as "Nyo-ze-ka." The relation creates a result. Because I have this plastic cup, I can drink water and quench my thirst. I appreciate that.

"Effect". We chant it as "Nyo-ze-ho." The relation creates an effect. As a result of that, I could quench my thirst by drinking water with this plastic cup, I feel appreciation to this cup and I think in my mind that I will take good care of the cup.

"Consistency from beginning to end". We chant it as "Nyo-ze-hon-matsu-ku-kyo-too." Buddha says that all things and matters existing and happening around you have these nine elements equally, which means that you have these nine elements, this plastic cup has these nine elements, I have these nine elements, all things around you have these nine elements, all matters happening around you have these nine elements, and Buddha Shakyamuni has these nine elements, too. That means Buddha Shakyamuni and you, I, we are the same. Buddha Shakyamuni is not a superior existence. We are not inferior than him. If we keep going on the Buddha Way, we will eventually be able to be like Buddha Shakyamuni.

Although each person's looks, personality, body, how much power he or she has, how he or she works, what his or her work causes, what type of relation the cause creates, what result the relation creates, what effect the result creates, are all different from each other, everyone, including you, me and Buddha Shakyamuni, equally have these nine elements.

That's what Buddha Shakyamuni wanted to tell us. That's the reason Buddha Shakyamuni talked to his smartest student, Shariputra. However, even his smartest student could not understand it at first. But, don't worry. Shariputra understood at the end of this chapter. This chapter is actually very long. At the end of this chapter, Shariputra finds out that he will be able to become a Buddha and Buddha Shakyamuni assured him of this.

Chanting sutra is not just chanting. Whenever you chant the sutra, Buddha Shakyamuni is teaching you his Dharma. So, he told Shariputra that he is able to become a Buddha. That means that Buddha Shakyamuni is telling you that you will be able to become a Buddha. That's the way chanting should be. Buddha Shakyamuni is just using your mouth to tell you his Dharma. He lives in the sutra. That's why he has eternal life.