Chapter
21
The Supernatural Power
of the Tathagatas
SUMMARY
This chapter is one of the three major chapters in the Lotus Sutra. The other two major chapters are Chapter 2 (Expedients) and Chapter 16 (The Life of the Tathagata). Nichiren Shu priests read these three chapters very often. The twenty-eight chapters of the sutra are divided in half; the first half is called shakumon, which reveals the historical Sakyamuni Buddha, while the last half is called hon-mon, which reveals the eternal nature of the Sakyamuni Buddha. Therefore, the disciples that appeared in the first half are called "the disciples in shakumon" while the disciples revealed in the last half are called "the disciples in honmon." In this chapter, Sakyamuni transmits this sutra and assigns the disciples in honmon the missionary works after his death.
EXPLANATIONS
"World-Honored One! After
your extinction, we will expound this sutra in the worlds of your replicas and
also in the place from which you will pass away."
(P.292, L.8.):
In Chapter 15, the "Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground," the earth split open before Sakyamuni, and countless Bodhisattvas welled forth. In this chapter, these innumerable great Bodhisattvas vowed to expound the teaching of the Lotus Sutra on this earth after the Buddha’s death.
"It is because we also wish
to obtain this true, pure, and great Dharma to keep, read, recite, expound, and
copy this sutra, and to make offerings to it."
(P.92, L. 10.):
These five practices that we perform must not only
be for the sake of self, but must also for others. To make offerings to the
sutra means to show appreciation to the sutra and to the Buddha.
"Thereupon the World-Honored
One displayed his great supernatural powers in the presence of the
multitude." (P.292, L.14..):
The Buddha displayed the following Ten Great Supernatural Powers:
1. Stretching out his tongue – Buddha’s words are true.
2. Emitting rays from
his body – Buddha’s virtues inspire others.
3. Coughing at the
same time – The way of all Buddhas is one.
4. Snapping fingers –
Buddhas are rejoicing.
5. Ground shaking in
the six ways – People are impressed.
6. Seeing the billions of Buddhas and bodhisattvas in this world – People in other worlds also attain Buddhahood with the Lotus Sutra.
7. Hearing other
Buddhas’ voices from the skies – Universal laws are the same with this world
and other worlds.
8. Saying,
"Namah Sakyamuni Buddha" – All people are devoted to the Buddha.
9. Strewing various
objects – All people appreciate the Buddha Sakyamuni.
10.
A
single Buddha-world – The peaceful and happy utopia is the Buddha Land.
"To sum up, all the teachings
of the Tathagata, all the unhindered, supernatural powers of the Tathagata, all
the treasury of the hidden core of the Tathagata, and all the profound
achievements of the Tathagata are revealed and expounded explicitly in this
sutra." (P.294, L.14.):
1. All the teachings of the Tathagata are universal laws and unchangeable.
2. All the
unhindered, supernatural powers of the Tathagata can save all beings in any
place and any occasion.
3. All the treasury
of the hidden core of the Tathagata contains the most appropriate teachings to
each situation.
4. All the profound
achievements of the Tathagata are hard to understand for us, but benefit us
without noticing them.
Therefore, we must keep, read, recite, expound, and copy this sutra and act according to the teachings of the sutra with all our hearts wherever we are.
"Here the Buddhas attained
Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi. Here the Buddhas turned the wheel of the Dharma.
Here the Buddhas entered into Parinirvana."
(P.294, L.23.):
For practitioners of the Lotus Sutra, a temple or monastery is everywhere: it could be at home, work, on the street, and so forth. A Buddha is not at a particular place, like heaven, in the west, or the universe, but rather, he is at any place where we practice the Dharma.
"The Buddhas, the
World-Saviors, have great supernatural powers. They display their
immeasurable, supernatural powers in order to cause all living beings to
rejoice." (P.294, L. 31.):
The Buddha is the savior. He revealed the ten
great supernatural powers mentioned above in order to cause all living being to
rejoice. Some Buddhist sects prohibit their priests and followers from
practicing supernatural powers, but the Lotus Sutra encourages the showing of
the powers in order to cause all living beings to rejoice. Therefore, Nichiren
Shu issues amulets and ofuda and
we perform kito. However, we
must know that supernatural powers are only expedients to cause people to
rejoice. The final aim is to attain Buddhahood, the salvation from all
sufferings.
"Anyone who expounds it after
my extinction according to its true meaning will be able to eliminate the
darkness of the living beings of the world where he walks about just as the
light of the sun and the moon eliminates all darkness."
(P.296, L.18.):
The name of Nichiren (Sun and Lotus) comes from
this quotation; "the light of the sun eliminates all darkness."
Nichiren Shonin wished to be someone who would eliminate all darkness of all
living beings by chanting the Odaimoku, "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo."
Sakyamuni Buddha selected Bodhisattvas that were headed by Jogyo or Superb-Action from underground. It is to them that the Buddha transmits the Lotus Sutra after his death.
Nichiren Dai Shonin compared his position to that
of Superb-Action Bodhisattva. After Nichiren was exiled on the island of Sado after the
execution at Tatsu-no-Kuchi, he believed that he was the rebirth of
Superb-Action Bodhisattva. He discusses this in his essay, Shoho Jisso Sho:
"I, Nichiren,
a man born in the Age of Degeneration, have nearly achieved the task of
pioneering the propagation of the Wonderful Law, the task assigned to the
Bodhisattva Superb-Action. . . . I, Nichiren, am the one who takes the lead of
the Bodhisattvas from Underground. Then may I not be one of them? And if I am
one of them, why may not all my disciple and followers be their kinsmen? . . .
If you are one in faith with Nichiren, you too are one of the Bodhisattvas from
Underground."