The Lotus Sutra and Tendai Teachings

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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Kuan Yin - The Great Compassion Bodhisattva

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, known as Kuan Yin to the Japanese and Chinese, and Chenresig to the Tibetans, is the bodhisattva who most embodies compassion. The name Avalokitesvara has its root meaning as "he who observes the sounds of the world". The great vow of Avalokitesvara is to listen to the supplications, and cries for help from those in difficulty in the world and to provide them with aid. He takes many different forms....male, female, four-armed, thousand-armed, human, non-human, teacher, student...whatever expedient means are needed to help people most effectively.

Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, an emanation of Amida Buddha's compassion, is the "Regarder of the Cries of the World". Sometimes referred to in the West as the Goddess of Mercy. (Note: Avalokitesvara means "Kuan Yin" in Sanskrit, the language of early India, from an earlier time when The Cry Regarder was depicted as a male figure. "Kuan Yin" is Chinese; "Kannon" is Japanese.)

The following brief excerpt was adapted (notably changing "he" to "she") from the chapter on the Bodhisattva Regarder of the Cries of the World, in the W. E. Soothill translation of The Lotus Sutra (The Lotus of the Wonderful Law, published by Curzon Press):

"Listen to the deeds of the Cry-Regarder,

Who well responds to every quarter;

Vast is her vow as deep the sea,

Age-long, and inconceivable.

Who hears her name and looks to her,

Unremittingly remembering her,

Will end the sorrows of existence.

* * *

Sorrows of birth, age, disease, death,

All will thus be ended.

True regard, serene regard,

Far-reaching, wise regard,

Regard of pity, regard compassionate,

Ever longed for, ever looked for,

In radiance ever pure and serene!

Wisdom's sun, destroying darkness,

Subduer of woes, of storm, of fire,

Illuminator of the world!

Law of pity, thunder quivering,

Compassion wondrous as a great cloud,

Pouring spiritual rain like nectar,

Quenching all the flames of distress!

* * *

Voice of the Regarder, wondrous voice,

Voice of the rolling tide, Brahma-voice,

Voice all world-surpassing,

Ever to be cherished in mind

With never a doubting thought.

World's Cry-Regarder, pure and holy,

In pain, distress, in death or woe,

Potent as a sure reliance,

Perfect in every virtuous merit,

All-beholding with eyes of pity,

Boundless ocean-store of blessings!

Prostrate, let us make obeisance."

Benefits in Reciting and Holding The Great Compassion Mantra

Excerpts from The Dharani Sutra

English translation by the Buddhist Text Translation Society,

Dharma Realm Buddhist University, USA

If humans and gods recite and hold the phrases of the Great Compassion Mantra, then when they approach the end of life, all the Buddhas of the ten directions will come to take them by the hand to rebirth in whatever Buddhaland they wish, according to their desire.

Should any living beings who recites and holds the spiritual mantra of Great Compassion fall into the three evil paths, I vow not to realise the right enlightenment. Should any living being who recites and holds the spiritual mantra of Great Compassion not be reborn in any Buddhaland, I vow not to realise the right enlightenment. Should any living being who recites and holds the spiritual mantra of Great Compassion not obtain unlimited samadhis and eloquence, I vow not to realise the right enlightenment. Should any living being who recites and holds the spiritual mantra of Great Compassion not obtain the fruits of whatever is sought in this very life, then he cannot have been making proper use of the Dharani of the Great Compassion Heart.

The Ten Bhumis - The Stages of a Bodhisattva

1. The first stage is called in Sanskrit Pramudita, or Very Happy. Bhumi means stage or ground. From the position of Bodhisattva to become a Buddha, one must go through the ten Bhumis, the ten stages or stations. The first is called the Very Happy station because in this first stage the Bodhisattva has recognized the Sunyata not only by thinking or just by visualization, but he has exactly and truly realized the Sunyata. Because he recognized the Sunyata, he is in another world, a world of Sunyata, not a world of ignorance or selfishness. So he feels very happy, and feels joy at having overcome the former difficulties. So it is called the Very Happy Station.

2. The second bhumi is Vimala or Renounce the Defilement because as a Bodhisattva he knows how to get the Sunyata and abide in the Sunyata more and more. Within the Sunyata he knows everything is pure, while outside everything is defiled. Actually it may seem that the Renounce the Defilement stage should be even before the first bhumi, but here Renounce the Defilement means the very subtle, not the gross one. So the second bhumi is the stage of purity when the Bodhisattva experiences freedom from all possible defilement.

3. The third bhumi is called Prabhakari or Shines Light Stage because as the Bodhisattva's meditation goes deep, his Samadhi shines light, so this is called the Shines Light or Enlightened Stage or Eminate Stage because a lot of light shines out from his Samadhi.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva



Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra



Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is often referred to as the Bodhisattva of the Hell beings because of his vow to not achieve Buddhahood until "all the Hells are empty". However, his vow actually encompasses all sentient beings, who vows to reveal all the secrets of even the hidden teachings, in order to save sentient beings, even if he has to suffer retribution, and the pulverization of his bones and flesh. His popularity among the Chinese and Japanese Buddhists is second only to Kuan Shih Yin P'usa as he takes upon himself the fearful and difficult task of bringing relief and consolation to the suffering beings of hell.

The birthday of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva falls on the 30th day of the 7th moon of the Chinese lunar calendar. All over the world Buddhist temples offer prayers to Ti Tsang P'usa during the 7th lunar month for the benefit of the dead.

Ti Tsang is at times depicted accompanied by a dog, which also has a significant meaning. On the death of his mother, the Bodhisattva, not as "Sacred Girl', hastened into the underworld with the view of comforting her and to seek favorable treatment for her. However, he could not find her but later discovered that she had already taken rebirth as a female dog. Upon his return to earth Ti Tsang soon traced and adopted the animal, which then became his companion on his pilgrimages.

Om Pra Ma Ni Da Ni So Ha

Ksitigabha Bodhisattva Tibetan Mantra

for Eradicating Fixed Karma.

Click on the above link to listen to the mantra

of Ksitigabha Bodhisattva

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is found in many Buddhist homes and temples and he is seen seated upon a lotus throne. Wearing the robe of a Northern Buddhist monk and on his head is the "five-leave crown, where the representation of a Dhyani-Buddha can be seen on each of the leaves. He always has a benevolent and kind look carries either, or both, his symbols of the Cintamani or "Wish-fulfilling Jewel' and the "Ringed-Staff", which is also called the Khakkhara. This ringed staff is often carried by Buddhist monks in their travels so that the sounds caused by the jingling rings can warn small animals and insects of their approach lest they be trod upon and killed. It is also sometimes called the alarm-staff.

The Kshitigarbha bodhisattva has a deep relationship with beings of the earth – humans, and especially with the hungry ghosts and hell beings. This is mainly because these ghosts and hell beings are the most difficult to raise into a more fortunate condition due to their previous unwholesome actions. Thus Kshitigarbha has been known as the Teacher of the Dark Regions because of his past vow to save them all. The famous declaration "if I do not go to hell to help them, who else will go?" is popularly attributed to Kshitigarbha. He is willing to have a connection with any being, no matter what the crime or the karma and his aim is to help free them from suffering. He has many emanations and he has manifested in countless forms to save beings at different times and places. In the Chinese Buddhist Pantheon his is the only figure in the form of a monk. This is to indicate that Mahayana Buddhism is suitable for both the monks and the laity.

Three Types of Bodhisattvas

Buddhism Is generally divided into two main groups Theravada and Mahayana (a less flattering way to say it is Hinayana or ‘Small Vehicle” or Srvakayana – monastic Ideal, in which the goal is the level of Arhat; and Mahayana or ‘Great Vehicle’) (Mahayana can also be divided into two groups. Sutrayana and Vajrayana).

The defining modality of practice in Mahayana Buddhism is the Bodhisattva Ideal. Bodhisattva literally means ‘Enlightening Being’. Generally speaking, a Bodhisattva is one who staves off final enlightenment in order to remain within Samsara (Deluded Existence), helping all Sentient Beings within the Six Realms of Existence achieve Liberation. It also implies that there is a broader place for all people, not just the Monastic Community, as implied by the Lesser Vehicle, to achieve the final goal.

Now, the definition of what or who a Bodhisattva is, can be a complicated process to explain. Yet, there is a generalized way of dividing up this category of Practitioners. This method of explanation is divided into three groups:

1. Bodhisattvas of the Vow. That is, those of us that have undertaken the Vow to reach enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. Most of us fall under this category.

2. Bodhisattvas who have achieved one of the Ten Bhumis
[See explanation of the Ten Levels].

3. Bodhisattvas as Emanations of Buddhas.

As stated, most of us followers of the Great Vehicle fall under the fist category. We have attended a ceremony, administered and witnessed by a Monk or Lama, acknowledging our motivation to cultivate the Path. We have taken the Vow, but have most likely not yet achieved any permanent state of Awakening. We are working on ourselves, following the Paramitas, the Eight Fold Path, Meditation practices, etc.

The next level is a Bodhisattva who has achieved attainments equal to one or above of the Ten Bhumis.

The word Bhumi means Stage or Ground. The Ten Bhumis are as follows:
(Skt. daśabhūmi; Tib. sa chu) *

1. Pramudita - Perfect Joy/Very Happy Station (Tib. rabtu gawa - rab tu dga’ ba)

2. Vimala - Immaculate/Stainless/Renounce the Defilement Stage (Tib. drima mepa - dri ma med pa)

3. Prabhakari - Luminous/Illuminating/Shines Light Stage (Tib. ö jepa - ‘od byed pa)

4. Arcismati - Radiant/Burning Wisdom/Glowing or Burning Wisdom Stage (Tib. ö tro chen - ‘od ‘phro can)

5. Sudurjaya - Hard to Keep/Hard to Conquer/Very Difficult to be Victorious by Others (Tib. shintu jankawa - shin tu sbyang dka’ ba)

6. Abhimukhi - Clearly Manifest/Appearance Stage (Tib. ngöntu gyurpa - mngon du gyur ba)

7. Duramgama - Far Progressed/Far from the World Journey Stage (Tib. ringtu songwa - ring du song ba)

8. Acala - Immovable/No Moving Stage (Tib. miyowa - mi g.yo ba)

9. Sadhumati - Perfect Intellect/Very Good Wisdom Stage ( Tib. legpe lodrö - legs pa’i blo gros)

10. Dharmamegha - Cloud of Dharma/Dharma Cloud (Tib. chökyi trin - chos kyi sprin)

The Eleventh Bhumi, Universal Radiance, is Buddhahood according to the Sutra system.

So when we talk about the Bodhisattva, or the Path of Mahayana, we should understand the systematic practice each Being undertakes, and the stages through which one achieves the goal.

The primary canonical source for the Bodhisattva Stages is:

Daśabhūmika-sūtra -十地經 (Sutra of the Ten Bhumis) which is the 26th Chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra. Vasubahandu wrote an important commentary to this sutra entitled: Dashabhumivyakhyana (extant only in Chinese).

There is also a valuable description of the Ten Bhumis and other indispensable teachings concerning the Bodhisattva Path in Gampopa's Jewel Ornament of Liberation.

There are in fact quite a few useful books available for someone practicing as a Bodhisattva. One such title that is very concise, contains not only the basic Vows, but also contains a translation of The Three Heaps Sutra, called The Bodhisattva Confession of Moral Downfalls, in which we undertake to purify our broken vows related to the Bodhisattva Path:

Taking The Bodhisattva Precepts
By Bokar Rinpoche

Another wonderful offering:

The Bodhisattva Vow
By Geshe Sonam Rinchen

There are countless other books that guide along the Stages to Awakening engaging in the Practice of the Bodhisattva.

More later on Bodhisattvas as Emanations of Buddhas

In Mahayana Buddhism, a Bodhisattva has the compassionate determination to aid all beings on their quest for the highest state of development, full enlightenment of a Buddha. This type of motivation is known as Bodhicitta.

Remaining in this world of uncontrolled rebirth (Wheel of Life), this individual has taken the bodhisattva vows not to pass into Parinirvana. Also known in Sanskrit as Paranirvana and in Pali as Paranibbana or (most often) Parinibbana. Paranirvana is the final Nirvana, traditionally understood to be within reach only upon the death of someone who attained the state of Nirvana.

According to the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism, on his/her way to becoming a Buddha, the bodhisattva proceeds through ten (sometimes fourteen) grounds or bhumi.

Before a bodhisattva arrives at the first ground, he or she first must travel the first two of the five paths (marked also with the syllables from the Heart Sutra that represents each path):

the path of accumulation (gate)

the path of preparation (gate).

The ten grounds of the bodhisattva then can be grouped into the next three paths

Bhumi 1 the path of insight (paragate)

Bhumi 2-7 the path of meditation (parasamgate)

Bhumi 8-10 the path of no more learning (Bodhi Svaha)

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