WHAT:
As stated on our Homepage, the Tendai Buddhist Sangha of Australia at Enmitsuji Temple (圓密寺), seeks to carry out the Study and Practise (教觀) of the transmission that has been bequeathed to us (傳教), by the lineage of The Buddha’s Heirs (Buddhaputra 佛子).
WHY:
The Tripartite Lotus Sūtra 法華三部經, which is the most important of the Buddha’s sermons, preaches the following:
「佛告舍利弗:「諸佛如來但教化菩薩,諸有所作,常為一事,唯以佛之知見示悟眾生。舍利弗!如來但以一佛乘故,為眾生說法,無有餘乘,若二、若三。舍利弗!一切十方諸佛,法亦如是。」(CBETA 2022.Q3, T09, no. 262, p. 7a29-b4)
The Buddha told Śāriputra: “All the Buddha-tathāgatas teach and transform only Bodhisattvas. All that they do is always for one-matter; it is only to show and awaken sentient beings to the Knowledge and Insight (jñāna-darśana) of the Buddhas. Śāriputra! For the sake of preaching the Dharma to sentient beings, the Tathāgatas only make use of the One-Buddha-Vehicle (Ekayāna). There are no other vehicles, neither a second, nor a third. Śāriputra! The Dharma of all the Buddhas in the ten directions is also like this.”
《妙法蓮華經》卷1〈2 方便品〉“The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Sublime Dharma ” (Fascicle 1: Chapter 2: “Skilful Means”)
And it is with a view to the transmission of this One-Buddha-Vehicle (Ekayāna), namely that all who hear His teaching are by virtue of this good fortune, ipso facto Bodhisattvas, that Śāriputra could not help but exclaim:
「世尊!我從昔來,終日竟夜每自剋責,而今從佛聞所未聞未曾有法,斷諸疑悔,身意泰然,快得安隱。今 日乃知真是佛子,從佛口生,從法化生,得佛法分。」」(CBETA 2022.Q3, T09, no. 262, p. 10c10-14)
World Honoured One! From the past until now, I have spent all day and all night reproaching myself, but now hearing this Dharma which I had not heard before from the Buddha, I have severed all doubts and regrets, and my body and mind are calmed, for I have happily attained peace and tranquillity. Today I finally know that I truly am the Son of the Buddha! Who from the Buddha’s mouth is born, from the Dharma’s transformativity has arisen, [and who] attains [his] share (i.e. inheritance) of the Buddha-Dharma.”
《妙法蓮華經》卷2〈3 譬喻品〉The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Sublime Dharma (Fascicle 2: Chapter 3: “The Parable”)
Dengyō Daishi Saichō (傳教大師 最澄), the founder of the Tendai School in Japan (天台宗), understood the importance of this inheritance and the need to bring the Inextinguishable Light of the Buddha-Dharma (不滅之法灯) into the world. In his Sange Gakushō Shiki 山家學生式, Dengyō Daishi Saichō tells us the following:
國寶何物?寳道心也。有道心人,名為國寶。故古人言:‘徑寸十枚, 非是國寶。照于一隅, 此是國寶‘。古哲又云:’能言不能行, 國之師也。能行不能言,國之用也。能行能言,國之寶也。三品之内,唯不能言,不能行,為國之賊。‘ 乃有道心佛子,西稱菩薩,東號君子。惡事向己,好事與他,忘己利他, 慈悲之極。
What manner of thing is a ‘treasure of the nation’? A ‘treasure’ is the [Mind of] Bodhicitta. Individuals in possession of Bodhicitta, are called ‘Treasures of the Nation’. Therefore, the men of old said: ‘a string of jewels, is not the ‘treasure of a nation’. Illuminating a corner– that is a ‘treasure of the nation’. The wise men of old also said: ‘[He who] is able to speak [but] unable to act, is a teacher of the nation. [He who] is able to act [but] unable to speak, is a functionary to the nation. [He who] is able to act [and] able to speak, is a ‘Treasure of the Nation’. Among these three, only [he who] is unable to speak, [and] unable to act, is a ‘traitor to the nation’. Furthermore, Sons of the Buddha in possession of Bodhicitta, are called Bodhisattva in the West (India), [and] named Noble Men (Junzi) in the East (China). [They] take upon themselves evil, and offer the good to others; forgetting themselves and benefiting others, is the summit of compassion.
In other words, it is by “illuminating a corner” of the World, that one knows that they are a “treasure of the nation”, and therefore in possession of genuine Bodhicitta. Furthermore, Dengyō Daishi Saichō speaks of this “treasure of the nation” as an active player in the world; that is, “[He who] is able to act [and] able to speak”. It is further clear that Dengyō Daishi Saichō saw the role of the “treasure of the nation” as the shouldering of this Inextinguishable Light of the Buddha-Dharma (不滅之法灯) in the period beginning with Śākyamuni Buddha’s (釋迦牟尼佛) manifesting his Parinirvāṇa (般涅槃), and ending with the descent of Maitreya Buddha (彌勒佛) from the Tuṣita Heaven (兜率天). In his Ganmon 願文 for example, he opens with the following warning:
悠悠三界純苦無安也。擾擾四生。唯患不樂也。牟尼之日久隱。慈尊月未照。
The endlessness of the Triple World (traidhātu) is pure suffering (dukkha); it is without ease (sukha). The chaos of the four forms of birth, is vexation alone; there is no joy (in it). The Sun of the [Śākya]muni has long since withdrawn. And the Moon of the Merciful Honoured One (i.e. Maitreya) has yet to shine forth.
In short, the two sources of light have their time and place, and the role of the “treasure of the nation” is to “illuminate a corner” in the interim with the Inextinguishable Lamp of the Buddha-Dharma (不滅之法灯). In formulating this conception of the role of the Children of the Buddha, Dengyō Daishi Saichō was not innovating something new, but passing on the inheritance bequeathed by the Buddha’s Heirs- for the Tripartite Lotus Sūtra 法華三部經 had long ago said:
「唯此一事實, 餘二則非真, 終不以小乘, 濟度於眾生。 佛自住大乘, 如其所得法, 定慧力莊嚴, 以此度眾生。 自證無上道, 大乘平等法, 若以小乘化, 乃至於一人, 我則墮慳貪, 此事為不可。」(CBETA 2022.Q3, T09, no. 262, p. 8a21-27)
Only this One Matter is true, and the other two are then not [ultimately] true. In the end, it is not with the Lesser-vehicle (Hīnayāna) that sentient beings are liberated. The Buddhas themselves abide in the Great-vehicle (Mahāyāna); and it is with such dharmas as I have obtained, and adorned with the powers of Contemplation (Samādhi) and Wisdom (Prajñā), that I liberate sentient beings. My own realisation is the Unsurpassed Path; the Dharma of the Equality that is the Great Vehicle- if I transformed [beings] by means of the Lesser-vehicle, even one person, I would then descend into stinginess and greed; this is not possible [for a Buddha].
《妙法蓮華經》卷1 The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Sublime Dharma (Fascicle 1: Chapter 2: “Skilful Means”)
And:
「我以相嚴身, 光明照世間, 無量眾所尊, 為說實相印。 舍利弗當知, 我本立誓願, 欲令一切眾, 如我等無異。」(CBETA 2022.Q3, T09, no. 262, p. 8b2-5)
With [these two] characteristics adorning My person, My radiant light illuminates the world. For the sake of the infinite multitude who revere Me, I preach the Seal of the True Characteristic [of all dharmas]. Śāriputra! you ought to know that I originally established a vow, desiring that all the multitudes be equal to me and without difference.
《妙法蓮華經》卷1 The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Sublime Dharma (Fascicle 1: Chapter 2: “Skilful Means”)
And:
「如日月光明,
能除諸幽冥。
斯人行世間,
能滅眾生闇」(CBETA 2023.Q3, T09, no. 262, p. 52b26-27)
As the radiant light of the Sun and Moon
Is able to eliminate the dark of gloom
These people coursing in the world
Are able to extinguish the dimness of sentient beings.
《妙法蓮華經》卷6
HOW:
From the passages of the Tripartite Lotus Sūtra 法華三部經 quoted above, we can see precisely where Dengyō Daishi Saichō has drawn his understanding of “illuminating a corner”, “ The Sun of the [Śākya]muni”, “the Moon of the Merciful Honoured One (i.e. Maitreya)”, the role of the “treasure of the nation” during the interim, and even his exhortation that we be “able to act [and] able to speak”. Indeed the One Matter for which we were told the Buddhas come into the world, was to “show and awaken sentient beings to the Knowledge and Insight (jñāna-darśana) of the Buddha”. And the Buddhas themselves we were told, are “adorned with the powers of Contemplation (Samādhi) and Wisdom (Prajñā)”.
Knowledge (jñāna) and Wisdom (prajñā) are derived from the Study (教) of the Buddha-Dharma, while Contemplation (samādhi) and Insight (darśana) are the product of the Practise (觀) of it. Having studied the Dharma, and thereby developed our knowledge and wisdom, Dengyō Daishi Saichō is confident that we’re “able to speak” this understanding in instructing beings. Having practised the Dharma, and thereby developed our contemplation and insight, Dengyō Daishi Saichō is further confident that we’re “able to act” it out in the world.
TRANSMISSION:
Dengyō Daishi Saichō was by no means the first to notice this, and we may surmise that when he stumbled across passages such as the following spoken by Tiantai Dashi Zhiyi (天台大師 智顗), the founder of the Tiantai School (i.e. Tendai) in China, he must have felt that he had found a kindred light in the darkness:
「夫泥洹之法,入乃多途。論其急要,不出止觀二法。所以然者,止乃伏結之初門,觀是斷惑之正要;止則愛養心識之善資,觀則策發神解之妙術;止是禪定之勝因,觀是智慧之由藉。若人成就定慧二法,斯乃自利利人,法皆具足。故《法華經》云:「佛自住大乘,如其所得法,定慧力莊嚴,以此度眾生。」當知此之二法,如車之雙輪,鳥之兩翼;若偏修習,即墮邪倒。故經云:「若偏修禪定福德,不學智慧,名之曰愚。偏學知慧,不修禪定福德,名之曰狂。」狂愚之過,雖小不同,邪見輪轉,蓋無差別;若不均等,此則行乖圓備,何能疾登極果!」(CBETA 2023.Q3, T46, no. 1915, p. 462b7-18)
As for the Dharma of Nirvāṇa, [there are] many paths of entry, [but if] we talk of the immediately necessary, [it] does not go beyond the two Dharmas of Śamatha and Vipaśyanā. Wherefore? Śamatha is the entry-way for subduing the fetters (saṃyojana), Vipaśyanā is the proper necessity for the severing of the (kleśa) moha (delusions). Śamatha then, is the wonderful resource (saṃbhāra) which cherishes and supports the Mind and Consciousness (citta and vijñāna). Vipaśyanā then, is the sublime technique which encourages and generates divine understanding. Śamatha is the marvelous cause of dhyāna-concentration. Vipaśyanā is the prerequisite of prajñā. If one achieves the two Dharmas [of] samādhi [and] prajñā, this amounts to the fulfillment of both the Dharmas of benefiting oneself, [and] benefiting others. Therefore, {The Dharma Flower Sūtra} (i.e. Lotus Sūtra) says: “The Buddha himself abides in the Great Vehicle (Mahāyāna), with such Dharmas as he has obtained, [and] adorned with the powers (bala) of samādhi and prajñā, with these [He] liberates Sentient Beings.” [You] ought to know that these two Dharmas (Samādhi and Prajñā ・Dhyāna and Prajñā・Śamatha and Vipaśyanā・Practise and Study), are like the pair of a cart’s wheels, the two wings of a bird; if [you] one-sidedly cultivate [them], then [you] descend to the heretical [and] perverse. Therefore the sūtra says: “If [you] one-sidedly cultivate Dhyāna, [and the gates] of ‘Blessedness and Virtue’(puṇya-dvāra) , [yet] do not study wisdom (prajñā), this is what is called ‘ignorance’. [If you] one-sidedly study wisdom (prajñā), [yet] do not cultivate Dhyāna, [and the gates] of ‘Blessedness and Virtue’(puṇya-dvāra), this is what is called ‘derangement’. The transgressions of ‘derangement’[and] ‘ignorance’, although they differ somewhat, [in both] the wheel of wrong views turns; as obscurations (nivāraṇa) there is no difference. If they (Samādhi and Prajñā ・Dhyāna and Prajñā・Śamatha and Vipaśyanā) are not even, this then, is practise contrary to the complete [and] perfect; how could [one] quickly ascend to the Ultimate Fruit!
《修習止觀坐禪法要》
All of this is to say that our duty as inheritors of the Buddha-Dharma, and in particular the transmission as preserved in the Tiantai/Tendai tradition, is to Study and Practise that which we’ve received. On the one hand, as we’ve done here, we should be able to look across the immense span of time between ourselves and the Buddha, and recognise the thread (sūtra) that runs through His children (佛子) for myriad generations. In the Tiantai/Tendai tradition we call this the transmission from the Golden Mouth (金口相承), and it is why we place great importance on one finding a qualified teacher within the tradition, rather than relying solely on one’s own independent studies. And on the other hand, when we recognise this thread running from the Golden Mouth of the Buddha himself, we are obliged to safeguard and maintain this transmission from one mind to another (以心傳心) such that nothing is lost (niṣyanda 等流).
When this is sincerely and carefully undertaken, then the Assembly [of the Lotus Sūtra] at Vulture Peak is Eternally in Session (常在靈鷲山), the Lotus Sūtra par excellence (saddharma 妙法) is realised, and the Bodhisattvas of the Earth ( 本化四菩薩) emerge (從地踊出). For as we were all told long ago:
「唯佛與佛, 乃能究盡, 諸法實相」(CBETA 2022.Q3, T09, no. 262, p. 5c10-11)
Only a Buddha together with a Buddha are able to fully fathom the True Characteristic of all dharmas.
《妙法蓮華經》卷1〈2方便品〉