Anybody can attain Buddhahood
The Tendai teachings are based on Tiantai Dashi Zhi-yi’s (Tendai Daishi Chigi in Japanese, 538-597) interpretation of the Lotus Sūtra. Zhiyi was active in the Chen (557-589) and Sui (589-617) Dynasties.
The Lotus Sūtra has 28 chapters. Zhiyi divided the Lotus Sūtra into two parts-the first half 14 chapters and the latter 14 chapters. In the first 14 chapters, the Lotus Sūtra expounds the idea that anybody can become a Buddha, and the latter 14 chapters reveal the eternality of Shakyamuni Buddha and the universality of the Buddha’s teachings.
The first half of the Lotus Sūtra expounds that the gateway that leads sentient beings to attain enlightenment is open for anybody. Tiantai Dashi called it the “Ichijō” (the One Vehicle; the single path to enlightenment to be taken by all living beings) to contrast it with the “Sanjō”(the three vehicles) hold that there are people who are unable to attain Buddhahood. The Lotus Sūtra teaches that
“Many Buddhas and Shakyamuni Buddha for one great cause alone appear in this world. That is to say they appeared in order that anybody could see these buddhas and to purify their minds. These Buddhas appeared in our world to make us understand what a Buddha is and to enable us to become Buddhas.”
And for the purpose of substantiating this, the worldview of the Buddha’s great compassion is expressed. This expression was first revealed in the Lotus Sūtra.
Everything and everyone exists in this world for a purpose, without discrimination or confrontation. Everything plays an important role in constituting our community and this world that we live in. Everything exists equally because everybody and all sentient beings have the possibility to attain enlightenment. Therefore, essentially there is no discrimination in the Sanjō (the three vehicles). Shakyamuni Buddha guaranteed that anybody can attain Buddhahood.
This is the main point of the first 14 chapters in the Lotus Sūtra. We should follow the Buddha’s teachings, realize that we have infinite possibilities to become Buddhas, and spend our daily life working toward this vast and high ideal.
The Buddha and his teachings will stay with us forever
Why did Shakyamuni Buddha pass into Nirvāna (the final goal of Buddhist aspiration and practice, where evil passions are extinguished and the highest wisdom attained), and what should guide his disciples in their pursuit of the path to Buddhahood after his death? The second half of the Lotus Sūtra answers these questions.
Why did Shakyamuni Buddha pass into Nirvāna even though he manifested in this world for the sake of saving all sentient beings? The Lotus Sūtra expounds as follows:
“If Shakyamuni Buddha were to live in this world forever, all sentient beings would set their minds at ease, and then they would be lazy with conceit. If they feel that they can hear his preaching anytime they please, then delight at hearing the teachings would not flow forth from them. Accordingly, Shakyamuni Buddha tried to lead them to Buddhahood by disappearing from this world and making them believe he had passed into Nirvāna.”
Shakyamuni Buddha has passed into Nirvāna, however, he continues to preach to us even now. We sentient beings can feel and touch the Buddha’s great compassion through reading the Lotus Sūtra.
The Buddha’s wisdom and compassion
The contemporary Tendai Denomination seeks to carry out the practice in our daily life of the ultimate form of compassion in accordance with Saichō’s words, “doing good for others first and leaving ourself till later, this spirit is the ultimate expression of compassion.” Compassion is the basic spirit for practicing the teachings of Buddha. The word compassion originated from the words for friendship and sympathy. There is the truth that all living things must die. We often tend to forget this truth. All living things will die no matter what the joys of life may bring now. This gives rise to grief. So, thoughtful consideration of all living beings will be needed. This is the ideal world of Buddhists where self and others are totally equal without any discrimination. To wish for the perfect equality of all living beings and to pray for their fulfilling lives is the essence of Buddhism.
The Lotus Sūtra, the most important sūtra in Tendai, preaches that Buddhists should have a tender and forbearing heart, should wear the compassionate robe of the Buddha, sit on the compassionate throne of the Buddha, and abide in the compassionate room of the Buddha. Also it preaches that those who practice such teachings may encounter persecution and have stones hurled at them. It is very difficult to practice this compassion, so some might say it is nothing but an ideal. But to take advance step by step toward this ideal must be the mission of Buddhism.
The Practices of Bodhisattvas
What should we who were born into this world as human beings do? Dengyō Daishi Saichō said “we should do the practices of bodhisattvas.” Bodhisattvas are those who devote themselves to the pursuit of Buddhahood. The most important practice of a bodhisattva is to do good for others while forgetting self. If one steadily practices, desires and attachments for things will be lessened gradually, and we will come to look upon others as on ourselves, without discrimination. This brings one close to the enlightenment of Buddhahood. A bodhisattva gives to others the virtue and merits of his pious acts or practices. Thus, bodhisattvas draw near to enlightenment through giving others the virtue and merits of practice, and taking joy in the act of giving.
Dengyō Daishi swore to devote himself to the pursuit of bodhisattva practices in our society and in his life, and preached to us that we should live as human beings like that.
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