This is the ninetieth installment of a detailed commentary on
the Threefold Lotus Sutra by the late founder of Rissho Kosei-kai,
Rev. Nikkyo Niwano.
What kind of person was Devadatta? Because of his rebellion against
and attempts to injure the Buddha, later generations have tended to
brand him an unalloyed villain and neglect to explore his motives
and character. But his evil actions sprang from very human
weaknesses. Therefore a close look at his life provides us with
much food for thought concerning the failings that we share with
him as fellow human beings.
According to some sources, Devadatta was a son of King
Amritodana--the younger brother of Shuddhodana, king of the Shakyas
and Shakyamuni's father--and the older brother of Ananda. Thus he
was Shakyamuni's cousin. As a youth, Devadatta was endowed with
physical and mental prowess and with talents second only to those
of Prince Siddhartha, as Shakyamuni was known before he renounced
secular life. In many ways the two were rivals. But Devadatta could
never best the prince. I imagine that Devadatta's tangled feelings
of rivalry and inferiority hardened into a lasting resentment that
eventually burst forth in the form of rebellion.
The greatest blow to Devadatta's pride as a young man is said to
have been his loss of Princess Yashodhara to Siddhartha. When
choosing a consort, it was the custom among the Shakyas to have the
young men of noble birth vie for her hand in various tests of
martial prowess, with the victor winning the right to wed her.
Yashodhara was the greatest beauty in the kingdom, and Devadatta,
like the other young noblemen, longed for her and was keen to
compete for her hand. The contestants also included Ananda and
Nanda, Siddhartha's half brother, who thus were the prince's
rivals, as well.
The contest began with archery and ended with wrestling. The prince
won every test of skill. In the wrestling, it is said, Devadatta
hurled himself violently at Siddhartha, who withstood the impact
and then, lifting Devadatta above eye level, paraded around the
wrestling ring three times holding him high before setting him down
gently. When the competition was over and everyone had left, King
Shuddhodana had a beautifully adorned white elephant led forth to
welcome the victor. Devadatta, on his way home, came upon the
elephant just as it was coming out of the palace gate. In his
chagrin at losing and his jealousy of the victor, he grabbed the
elephant's trunk with his left hand and with his right fist dealt
the beast a great blow on a vital spot on its forehead. The
elephant toppled to the ground. As if to say, "Look at my prowess,"
Devadatta smiled disdainfully at the amazed on-lookers and strutted
off.
Ananda, Nanda, and all the other competitors must have felt chagrin
at their defeat and envy of the winner, but they did not vent their
feelings in this way. In today's parlance, we would say they had
sportsmanship. Devadatta, unfortunately, did not. Perhaps the seeds
of the many unsportsman-like deeds he would perpetrate in later
life were sown that day. When we think of what a huge difference
the small mental act of controlling or not controlling feelings of
chagrin and envy made over the course of a lifetime, we are struck
anew by the great importance of character formation in youth.
When Shakyamuni was about to return to the kingdom of Magadha after
visiting his birthplace for the first time since attaining
enlightenment, eight men, including Ananda, Aniruddha, and Upali,
begged to be allowed to become his disciples and were accepted.
Devadatta, too, was among their number. Shakyamuni taught them the
Law in a nearby grove. Six attained the arhat's enlightenment on
the spot. Only Ananda and Devadatta were unable to extricate
themselves from the toils of illusion, Ananda because of his
tendency to let his emotions get the better of him, Devadatta
because of his pride.
Subsequently, Devadatta practiced earnestly under Shakyamuni's
guidance. He memorized all the teachings he heard, never hesitated
to ask about anything that puzzled him, and worked hard at
meditation. But although he made considerable spiritual progress,
unfortunately he could not conquer his strong self-attachment.
Seeing the Sangha flourish and grow into a community of several
thousand bhikshus and watching so many kings and other men of
importance flock to the Buddha and become devotees, Devadatta,
despite all his spiritual practice to improve his character, was
unable to suppress his ambition to be a great leader of men and
have multitudes at his beck and call. Cursed by his strong
self-attachment, he could not attain the state of religious
ecstasy, serenity, and clarity that the other leading disciples
enjoyed. He began to feel frustrated, somehow shut out of the inner
circle or left behind.
Thirty years passed. Many people think of Devadatta as having done
nothing but plot rebellion, but for thirty long years he engaged in
religious practice as a member of the Sangha. Clearly, he was no
ordinary man. But because of his strong self-attachment, not only
did he fail to achieve true enlightenment, he finally backslid
grievously from the Way. The Buddhist scriptures explain the
motivation behind his downfall in the following way.
Burning with envy of the freedom enjoyed by those bhikshus who had
attained supernormal powers, one day Devadatta begged the Buddha to
teach him how to acquire such powers. Shakyamuni said, "Supernormal
powers come naturally to one who has attained enlightenment. To
seek them for their own sake is mistaken. First contemplate the
truths of emptiness and impermanence and strive to become truly
enlightened to them." But because Devadatta desired the phenomenal
manifestation of forms and powers rather than enlightenment, he
could not bring himself to obey Shakyamuni's instructions. He had
heard about impermanence, nonself, emptiness, and so on, for thirty
years, until he was sick of them. What he really craved was
supernormal powers.
Determined to have his way, Devadatta went to the bhikshus
Gavampati and Kaundinya, who were renowned for their psychic
powers, and importuned them to teach him their secret. Both told
him, as had Shakyamuni, that such powers were of only secondary
importance. Undaunted, he next approached Dashabala-Kashyapa, who,
being of a simple and naive disposition, agreed to teach him
without a second thought. Needless to say, Devadatta studied
single-mindedly. And eventually he did indeed gain the powers he
lusted after. Devadatta's success filled him with confidence--or,
rather, arrogance. He began to see himself as more than a match for
Shakyamuni, let alone such eminent disciples as Shariputra and
Maudgalyayana. In the end, his inexorably swelling arrogance led
him to backslide. This train of events has great lessons for us
today.
Going to Rajagriha, the capital of Magadha and a stronghold of
Shakyamuni's Sangha, Devadatta ingratiated himself with Prince
Ajatashatru and persuaded the prince to become his patron.
Ajatashatru's father, King Bimbisara, was a devout follower of the
Buddha and supporter of the Sangha. Devadatta's plan was to destroy
the link between the king and the Sangha and set up a new sangha
under Ajatashatru's patronage. First he incited Ajatashatru to kill
the king and usurp the throne. The impressionable young prince fell
in with Devadatta's plot and cast the king into prison, intending
to starve him to death. Moreover, when he discovered that his
mother, Queen Vaidehi, had been painting her body with honey and
flour and visiting the king in prison to provide him with
sustenance, he confined her in the inner apartments of the
palace.
In this way Ajatashatru seized the throne, and Devadatta realized
his wish to establish his own sangha under the new king's
patronage. Having practiced under Shakyamuni for thirty years, he
had an extensive knowledge of the Law. He was also a skilled
preacher and was endowed with supernormal powers. All in all, he
was well equipped to win the adulation of the ignorant. He rapidly
built up a large following of bhikshus and lay devotees, until his
sangha rivaled that of Shakyamuni in numbers.
Around the time of King Bimbisara's imprisonment, Devadatta
presented Shakyamuni with a set of "reforms" of the Sangha,
proposing the following five stringent new precepts: (1) Bhikshus
are to live in forests throughout their lives; they are not allowed
to live in villages. (2) Bhikshus are to live as mendicants
throughout their lives; they are not allowed to accept invitations
from lay believers. (3) Bhikshus are to wear only tattered robes
made of rags throughout their lives; they are not allowed to accept
robes offered by lay believers. (4) Bhikshus are to sleep under
trees throughout their lives; they are not allowed to enter roofed
dwellings. (5) Bhikshus are not to eat the flesh of fish or animals
throughout their lives; those who do are to be punished.
Naturally, such extreme precepts violated the Buddha's teaching of
enlightenment by means of the Middle Way, which eschews the
extremes of asceticism and indulgence. In Shakyamuni's view, the
prime object of spiritual practice was to rid oneself of delusions
and attain the Buddha's wisdom; preoccupation with details of food,
clothing, and shelter would only distract practitioners from this.
Even if enlightenment could be attained through the kind of harsh
practice Devadatta proposed, it would be possible for only a
handful of people. Such extreme asceticism was not the true way to
salvation. True salvation had to be accessible to all people, in
all walks of life.
If all people are to be saved, prescribing the smallest details of
food, clothing, and shelter is counterproductive. When every aspect
of daily life is rigidly regulated, with no regard for differences
in environment, ethnicity, customs, and individual physique and
personality, people tend to become focused on the regulations
themselves and to lose sight of the main objective of religious
practice, attainment of the Buddha's wisdom. Thus, Shakyamuni held
that the important thing was not to covet ease; prescribing every
detail of daily life was unnecessary. Still, in a Sangha of
thousands, inevitably some members of the community would
occasionally behave in ways that hindered practice or disturbed the
harmony of communal life. Whenever this happened, Shakyamuni would
admonish the offender individually. But the disciples, in their awe
and veneration of the Buddha, made these admonitions into precepts
for the Sangha as a whole, which is why eventually there were lists
of 250 precepts for bhikshus and 348 precepts for bhikshunis.
Since Shakyamuni taught the Middle Way, naturally he flatly refused
to endorse Devadatta's ascetic "reforms." Biographies of the Buddha
record the following striking interchange between Shakyamuni and
Shariputra. Shakyamuni instructed Shariputra to tell the bhikshus
who followed Devadatta that those who obeyed Devadatta's five
precepts were violating the Three Treasures--the Buddha, the
Buddha's teaching, and the community of believers. Shariputra
appeared hesitant. He said, "World-honored One, in the past I have
praised Devadatta, so I feel uneasy about criticizing his
shortcomings now." Shakyamuni promptly replied, "It is right to
praise what is praiseworthy. And it is right to criticize what
deserves criticism. What is wrong must be set right."
Acknowledging the truth of Shakyamuni's words, Shariputra
immediately went to the bhikshus led by Devadatta and delivered the
message, which amounted to a pronouncement of expulsion from the
Sangha. Devadatta responded by spreading the word that Shakyamuni
was living a life of luxury, thus declaring overt rebellion.
Earlier, when Devadatta had incited Ajatashatru to kill his father,
he had promised that he himself would injure Shakyamuni. True to
his promise, he sent forth thirty-one skilled archers; but when
they approached the Buddha, they were struck with awe at his
nobility. Casting aside their bows and arrows, they prostrated
themselves before him. They were accepted into the Sangha on the
spot.
Devadatta then decided to take matters into his own hands. One day,
when Shakyamuni was on Mount Gridhrakuta, Devadatta rolled a huge
boulder toward him from above. As the boulder bounced down the
slope, it split into two. The smaller part hit Shakyamuni in the
foot, causing profuse bleeding. Returning to the monastery in pain,
he restrained the bhikshus, who were eager to sally forth there and
then to punish Devadatta, before lying down quietly. It is recorded
that the wound was slow to heal but that the master physician
Jivaka finally healed it by performing surgery.
Realizing that it was impossible to harm Shakyamuni permanently by
means of human powers, Devadatta next intoxicated an elephant with
wine and let it loose as Shakyamuni was passing by on a begging
round. The animal thundered toward the Buddha. But he entered
the samadhi of compassion and quietly walked
straight toward the beast. The elephant suddenly turned docile and
knelt before him, caressing his feet with its trunk, then rose and
walked away.
Meanwhile, remorse for his heinous sins began to steal across
Ajatashatru's heart. One day, seeing Prince Udayibhadra in great
pain from an infected finger, Ajatashatru spontaneously embraced
him and sucked the pus from his finger. Queen Vaidehi, who
witnessed the encounter, cried out, "Ah, so did the king do for you
when you were small!" These words struck Ajatashatru to the heart,
and suddenly his eyes were opened. Going to Shakyamuni, he
confessed his sins and became a follower. Devadatta, deprived of
his chief patron, fell into a piteous state. His disciples left
him. When he went out begging, no one would give him food.
Biographies of the Buddha relate that in his desperation Devadatta
subsequently perpetrated many other evil deeds and finally fell
into a state of living hell.
Reflecting carefully on Devadatta's life, we realize that he was
not simply a villain but an extremely able man. If only he had not
made a wrong turning, he would probably have been a splendid
bhikshu leading an exemplary life. Unfortunately, though, he was
the weakest kind of human being. He lacked the courage to rid
himself of his self-attachment, to repent of his wrongdoing and
correct himself. Being a human being, he must have felt the urge to
do so from time to time. Indeed, intelligent as he was, I imagine
that he was constantly tormented by that urge. But because his
self-attachment was stronger than his remorse, he was unable to
undergo a true change of heart and slipped ever deeper into
degradation. What a pitiful life his was!
The reason I have devoted so much space to Devadatta's life is that
he had many points in common with people today. The present age is
full of people who share his weakness, a fact that has brought
untold darkness and unhappiness to the world. We need to take a
good look at ourselves in the light of Devadatta's life. I hope we
will have the courage and resolution to firmly renounce
self-attachment when circumstances call for it. I believe this is
the greatest challenge facing humankind.
Returning to the sutra text, why did the Buddha speak of "the good
friend Devadatta"? I think there are two main reasons. First, the
existence of a traitor like Devadatta confirmed the correctness of
the Buddha's teaching of the Middle Way and kept the Sangha as a
whole from being diverted to an erroneous course. Second, because
Devadatta exposed the greatest failing of human beings and
demonstrated the most fearsome face of human nature, Shakyamuni's
own enlightenment was deepened.
The second reason calls for a word of explanation. Some may wonder
how the already supreme enlightenment of the Buddha could be
deepened by the likes of Devadatta. Such doubts spring from
deifying the Buddha, regarding him as something other than human.
The original meaning ofbuddha is "enlightened one."
The Buddha was a human being, though an enlightened one (this does
not apply to the Eternal Original Buddha, of course).
Shakyamuni attained enlightenment, and thus became the Buddha,
beneath the bodhi tree at Buddhagaya; but this
was basic enlightenment to the law of dependent origination and the
real aspect of all things. On the basis of that enlightenment, in
the course of his teaching activities he continually deepened his
enlightenment and attained further insight into human beings and
human relations.
It is highly unrealistic to think that because Shakyamuni achieved
Perfect Enlightenment beneath the bodhi tree
there was nothing that could have been added to it. Is it not
highly insulting to believe that he made no progress whatsoever
between his enlightenment at the age of thirty or thirty-five and
his death at the age of eighty? Such a thing is unthinkable. To
repeat: The Buddha's reference, in the context of a story of a
former life, to Devadatta as a good friend should be interpreted as
acknowledgment that thanks to Devadatta the Sangha had been able to
proceed firmly on the correct course of the Middle Way and the
Buddha himself had gained the inner experience of deepening his
enlightenment.
Since ancient times it has been said that one can be motivated to
embark on the Way of the Buddha by two kinds of conditions: "normal
conditions" and "reverse conditions." Originally, the former meant
that good deeds could provide the conditions for embarking on the
Way, and the latter meant that opposition to the Buddha and
vilification of the Law could provide the conditions for receiving
instruction from the Buddha and bodhisattvas and thus embarking on
the Way. We today, however, would do better to interpret them as
follows.
"Normal conditions" means that coming into contact with positive
energy, such as good teachers, friends, and writings, enables us to
proceed in a positive direction. "Reverse conditions" means that
negative energy brought to bear from without or negative
circumstances that we ourselves generate--persecution, slander,
misfortune, failure--can, if we assimilate them, nourish our growth
as human beings by triggering a religious awakening. The reason I
suggest this interpretation is that the traditional one, especially
in the case of "reverse conditions," is hard for us today to relate
to and thus does not motivate us strongly.
For the sake of personal growth, it is important that we gain a
firm understanding of this modern interpretation of normal and
reverse conditions. Of course we must actively seek out normal
conditions, but there is no telling when we may be assaulted by
reverse conditions. Indeed, in one way or another they are being
generated all the time. Those who shrink from reverse conditions
are weaklings, and those who are defeated by them backslide. As I
have said, we must constantly seek out normal conditions and
accumulate them. But when we meet with reverse conditions, we must
recall Shakyamuni's attitude toward Devadatta and cope with them
valorously through Mahayana enlightenment, using them to nourish
our growth by thoroughly assimilating them. This is the way of the
truly brave, the true believer.
TEXT I declare to all you four groups:
Devadatta, after his departure and innumerable kalpas have passed,
will become a buddha, whose title will be King of the Gods
Tathagata, Worshipful, All Wise, Perfectly Enlightened in Conduct,
Well Departed, Understander of the World, Peerless Leader,
Controller, Teacher of Gods and Men, Buddha, World-honored One, and
whose world will be named Divine Way. At that time the Buddha King
of Gods shall dwell in the world for twenty intermediate kalpas. He
shall widely preach the Wonderful Law for all the living, and
living beings [numerous] as the sands of the Ganges will attain
arhatship; innumerable beings will devote themselves to
pratyekabuddhahood; and living beings [numerous] as the sands of
the Ganges, devoting themselves to the supreme Way, will attain to
the assurance of nonbirth and reach the [stage] of never falling
back [into mortal life].
COMMENTARY Intermediate
kalpas. This term, which appears only in this chapter of
the Lotus Sutra, is equivalent to the small kalpas mentioned in
other chapters.
· Arhatship. This refers to the stage of
practice at which one is pure, having rid oneself of all illusion,
and is worthy of others' respect.
· Pratyekabuddhahood. Pratyekabuddhas are those
who, through such practices as meditation
andsamadhi, have become enlightened to the truths of
the universe and of human life through their own efforts, or those
who are engaged in such practices.
· The supreme Way. This is a reference to the
Way of the Buddha and the Buddha's enlightenment.
· The assurance of nonbirth. This is the stage
at which one has thoroughly realized the truth that all phenomena
are inherently empty (shunya) and the law of
nonbirth, that is, transcendence of life and death (the latter is
explained in the commentary on chapter 2 of the Sutra of
Innumerable Meanings, "Preaching") and is no longer perturbed by
any phenomenal changes. "Assurance" means that one is firm in one's
attainment of that stage and will never backslide.
TEXT Then after the parinirvana
of the Buddha King of Gods, the Righteous Law will dwell in his
world during twenty intermediate kalpas. For his complete body
relic, a stupa of the precious seven shall be erected, sixty
yojanas in height and forty yojanas in length and width. All the
gods and people, with various flowers, sandal powder, incense for
burning, perfumed unguents, garments, garlands, banners, flags,
jeweled canopies, music, and song, shall respectfully salute and
pay homage to the wonderful Stupa of the Precious Seven.
Innumerable living beings will attain arhatship; incalculable
living beings will awaken to pratyekabuddhahood; and inconceivable
[numbers of the] living will be aroused to Bodhi and reach the
[stage] of never falling back [into mortality]."
COMMENTARY Parinirvana. This
refers to both mind and body entering complete nirvana, that is,
death in the conventional sense.
This marks the end of the prediction of Devadatta's buddhahood. Why
did Shakyamuni give his assurance that a villain like Devadatta
would eventually become a buddha? We have already seen that
Devadatta's evil acted as reverse conditions to deepen the Buddha's
enlightenment and strengthen the Sangha's confidence that it was on
the correct course. But the Buddha and the members of the Sangha
were benefited in this way because of the wisdom, strong courage,
and great enlightenment that enabled them to thoroughly assimilate
reverse conditions and use them as nourishment rather than succumb
to them. Devadatta did not deserve the credit for the good results
generated by his evil deeds, however, nor did the good outcome
cancel out the evil he had done. It would be a great mistake to
think that providing reverse conditions in any way qualifies a
person for buddhahood.
Shakyamuni used the example of Devadatta to drive home in a
startling and dramatic way the point he had made over and over,
that all human beings possess the buddha-nature equally. Simply
being told that everyone has the buddha-nature in equal measure and
thus has the potential for buddhahood would not be enough to make
an ordinary person feel deeply, "That means me, too." Even the
knowledge that such eminent disciples as Shariputra, Maudgalyayana,
Maha-Kashyapa, and Maha-Katyayana had been assured that they would
attain buddhahood would seem to have little relevance to one's own
situation, since those disciples had progressed so much further
along the Way.
But as the Buddha's sermon continued and the buddhahood of the five
hundred bhikshus and countless other people both learned and
unlearned was predicted, those assembled would begin to be able to
relate to the idea in a personal way. Still, the niggling thought
would remain, "Yes, but all these people have practiced a great
deal. How can I possibly emulate them?" Suddenly Shakyamuni
predicted the buddhahood of Devadatta, that great enemy of the Law.
It was like a bolt from the blue. "Shakyamuni doesn't lie, so that
must mean that even Devadatta can become a buddha." All the
listeners were astounded.
Hard on the heels of amazement would come the thought, "Wait a
minute. If even Devadatta can become a buddha, I certainly should
be able to, since I haven't done anything so very bad." For the
first time the lofty ideal of buddhahood would start to seem like
something that might actually apply to oneself. This would prompt
one to think back over everything Shakyamuni had taught so far as
something directly applicable to oneself, a process that would lead
to a deeply personal assimilation and understanding of each
teaching.
Let us imagine the train of thought of a bhikshu who heard the
prediction of Devadatta's buddhahood. "The Buddha has taught that
all phenomena are empty. And he has taught that everyone is
essentially equal. That means Shariputra and Devadatta and I are
basically equal. [See the November/December 2005 issue
of Dharma World.] We all receive the Original
Buddha's vivifying power equally. If I accept all this, it follows
that I too can attain the same totally free state as the Buddha.
That's what he means by teaching that all possess the buddha-nature
equally.
"The Buddha has also taught that it's because our buddha-nature is
obscured by a thick layer of defilements that it's so hard for the
compassion of the Original Buddha to penetrate and for us to feel
it, and that we have to get rid of our defilements in order to
reveal our buddha-nature. This means the only difference between
Shariputra and Devadatta and me is how thickly our buddha-nature is
covered with defilements. It's just a matter of degree. There's
absolutely no difference in our essential nature as human beings.
People really are equal, after all.
"The only reason Devadatta did so much evil is that his
buddha-nature was heavily encrusted with defilements. Once he
eradicates them, he's fully qualified for buddhahood. By the same
token, if I just get rid of my defilements, I'm qualified to become
a buddha, too. But can I really get rid of all of them? Looking
into my heart, I think I've managed to eradicate most of them.
But all--that's a different matter. I don't think
it's possible. And if it's impossible for me, even though I'm
practicing the Buddha Way as hard as I can, how can it be expected
of all people? Still, the Buddha says that everyone can become a
buddha. How can that be?
"Ah, I've just remembered! In the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings the
Buddha said that 'defilements, even though existent, will become as
if nonexistent.' That's it! He taught that defilements are created
merely by the coming together of causes and conditions, so if we
change what links causes and conditions to something better,
defilements cease to be defilements. It's because we're entangled
in our defilements that we can't get rid of them. If we truly
realize that essentially they have no substance, they won't harm or
bind us anymore even if we still have them.
"It all goes back to the teachings of emptiness and dependent
origination, and the realization that defilements, too, arise
through dependent origination. Since they are products of dependent
origination, if we just apply good causes and conditions,
defilements will be instantly transformed into forces for good.
That's the meaning of the teaching of the identity of defilements
and enlightenment. Little by little, I'm beginning to
understand.
"That's why the Buddha has also taught that it's not enough to
purify one's heart, that one has toact to benefit
both oneself and others. If we apply a good direction to our
defilements through our actions, that positive energy benefits both
other people and ourselves. This enables us to receive the Buddha's
compassion without resistance. So ordinary people and buddhas can
function in the same way.
"Devadatta translated his defilements directly into action. That's
what made his actions evil. If he awakens to the Buddha's teaching
and applies a good direction to his delusions, he'll immediately be
able to do good. That's the only difference between someone who's
evil and someone who's good. Now I understand that Devadatta can
definitely become a buddha--and that I can, too!"
As we see, this hypothetical bhikshu was finally enlightened. It
would behoove us all to think through this teaching in the same
way. If we do, we too will be sure to achieve the same deep
realization of the truth of Shakyamuni's prediction of Devadatta's
buddhahood, based as it was on the basic Buddhist teachings of
emptiness, dependent origination, and all human beings' equal
possession of the buddha-nature.
TEXT The Buddha said to the bhikshus: "If
there be in a future world any good son or good daughter to hear
this Devadatta chapter of the Wonderful Law Flower Sutra with pure
heart and believing reverence, and is free from doubt, such a one
shall not fall into the hells or become a hungry spirit or animal,
[but shall] be born into the presence of the buddhas of the
universe. Wherever he be born he will always hear this sutra;
COMMENTARY This passage, together with the
next, can be interpreted in two ways. The first is to take it as
describing the fortunate spiritual state of one who receives and
believes the teaching in this chapter. The second, based on the
concept of transmigration, is to see it as explaining that one who
receives and believes the teaching in this chapter will invariably
be reborn in favorable circumstances and will be able to hear the
teaching of the Buddha.
The first interpretation should be easy to understand if we have
carefully read the discussion above of why an evil person can
attain buddhahood. The essential nature of all people is the
buddha-nature. We are animated by the compassion of the Eternal
Original Buddha. Nevertheless, our buddha-nature tends to be
obscured by a thick layer of defilements, so that we block
ourselves from receiving all of the Buddha's compassion. It follows
that if we do our best to rid ourselves of defilements or apply a
good direction to them, transforming them into energy for good, any
of us can become a buddha. This constitutes the true development of
our humanity, and our true happiness as human beings.
If, by means of the teaching in this chapter, we can understand
this truth and truly believe it, we will never fall into the evil
course of translating our defilements directly into actions as
Devadatta did. In other words, we will cease to be subject to the
inferior, anguished ways of living known as the realms of the hells
(acting in anger and living in constant emotional anguish), hungry
spirits (craving one thing after another to satisfy the ego and
constantly fretting because we cannot fulfill all our self-centered
desires), or animals (lapsing into inhumane or subhuman behavior by
giving our instinctual impulses free rein, thereby hurting others
and making ourselves unhappy).
The statement that one who hears and believes the teaching of this
chapter will "be born into the presence of the buddhas of the
universe" means that we will be aware that wherever we may be we
are always in the Buddha's presence. Awareness of being in the
Buddha's presence means consciousness that we are enlivened by the
Buddha. This gives us great confidence in life, infuses us with
courage, and enables us to live in a happy frame of mind.
Naturally, therefore, "wherever he be born he will always hear this
sutra." If we are always aware of being in the Buddha's presence,
we will never forget his teaching--"this sutra"--whatever our
environment. We will constantly contemplate and savor it.
Now let us examine the second interpretation. Under the influence
of Western thought, the concept of transmigration has come to be
seen as unscientific, as merely a way to encourage ignorant people
to do good and to discourage them from doing evil. But the
so-called scientific approach is limited to what we can perceive
with the five senses. In other words, it can be applied only to
what we experience in this world and can prove to others. We often
hear about people who claim to have seen the afterworld, but
scientifically speaking, what they have experienced is probably
syncope or some kind of coma. After all, death is something each of
us can experience only once in this life. Therefore, both those who
purport to be able to describe the afterworld and those who deny
that there is anything after death are unscientific. Shakyamuni
answered all questions about existence after death by saying that
such matters were "morally neutral," neither helping nor hindering
enlightenment--a highly scientific approach.
As explained in the commentary on the significance of the theory of
transmigration in chapter 2, "Tactfulness" (see the
November/December 1998 issue), Shakyamuni taught about
transmigration from quite a different standpoint, addressing the
issue on a completely different level. He did not discuss
transmigration in order to explain the afterworld. Transmigration
is a necessary concept in terms of the law of cause and effect.
Since good actions always generate good effects and bad actions
invariably give rise to bad effects, it follows quite rationally
that the impact of what we do is not limited to this life but is
bound to have an effect on our next life, as well.
If we believe that this is the only life we have and that death is
the end of everything, we have to conclude that life is nothing but
the incessant clash of people's conflicting desires and egos. What
a fearful prospect! And if we maintain that this life is only a
provisional existence and our efforts are of little meaning, that
true significance and happiness are to be found only in the next
world, it means abandoning all endeavor. What a dreary world this
leaves us inhabiting! Shakyamuni taught the theory of
transmigration on the basis of the law of cause and effect to keep
people from lapsing into nihilism or passivity.
The Buddha's teaching is not a matter of theory alone; its primary
aim is to save living human beings and to create a happy society.
His theory of transmigration springs naturally from this. That,
too, is why he expounded the doctrine of "long-term practice,"
continued practice over the course of many lives.
To hear this chapter of the Lotus Sutra "with pure heart and
believing reverence, . . . free from doubt," means to accept the
Buddha's teaching without resistance and to persevere in our
efforts in this life. If we do so, we will "be born into the
presence of the buddhas of the universe," and wherever we are born,
we "will always hear this sutra." In other words, we will be able
to encounter the teaching of the Lotus Sutra in our next life, as
well, and will be able to advance further toward supreme
enlightenment, that is, buddhahood.
TEXT and if he be born amongst men or gods,
he will enjoy marvelous delight. As to the Buddha into whose
presence [he is born], his birth shall be by emanation from a lotus
flower."
COMMENTARY Marvelous
delight. The
Sanskrit pradhana, translated into English as
"marvelous," is rendered in the Chinese text
as sheng-miao. Sheng means
excellent, while miao means inexpressibly
superb, that is, supreme. Thus, "marvelous delight" indicates not
the vulgar joy of sensuous pleasures but an extremely elevated
spiritual joy. Those who can receive and believe the teaching of
this chapter, whether born into the human or the heavenly realm,
will not be caught up in pursuit of the pleasures of the five
desires (the desires of the five senses) and will have little need
to undergo again the painful practice necessary to combat the
defilements associated with the five desires, but will be able to
live a life filled with spiritual joy.
· Birth shall be by emanation from a lotus
flower. Lotus flowers are rooted in mud, but the
beautiful blossoms that unfold above the muddy water are quite
untouched by dirt. Thus, to be born "by emanation from a lotus
flower" means that although one lives in this sullied world among
ordinary defiled people, one can possess the purity of the Buddha.
This is the state of the bodhisattva. In short, anyone who hears
this chapter "with pure heart and believing reverence, and is free
from doubt," will be able to achieve at least the bodhisattva
state. The reason should be clear from the earlier discussion of
the process of enlightenment to the truth that even an evil person
can attain buddhahood.
Thus ends the first half of the chapter. Now a different cast of
characters appears and a new sermon begins--though this one, too,
explicates the truth that all human beings possess the
buddha-nature equally.
To be continued
In this series, passages in
the TEXT sections are quoted
from The Threefold Lotus Sutra, Tokyo: Kosei
Publishing Company, 1975, with slight revisions. The diacritical
marks originally used for several Sanskrit terms in
the TEXT sections are omitted here for
easier reading.
This article was originally published in the April-June 2007
issue of Dharma World.
http://www.rk-world.org/dharmaworld/dw_2007ajsutradevadatta2.aspx