This lecture originally appeared in the June 2023 Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal. Ikeda Sensei completed this lecture prior to his passing.
Though we may wish for spring to linger, it must give way to summer” (“The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 672). Nichiren Daishonin uses the inexorable progression of the seasons as a metaphor for the unstoppable development of kosen-rufu.
The Soka Gakkai continues to advance with ever-growing momentum as it fulfills its mission in accord with the Buddha’s intent—moving from spring and its colorful blooms into early summer and its glistening white lilies.
June is Soka Women’s Month.[1] Throughout Japan, our women and young women are holding small-group general meetings, noble gatherings reminiscent of fragrant lilies. My wife and I are praying for and looking forward to the meetings’ great success as if we ourselves were participating in their circles of joyful dialogue.
Happiness Is Within
On June 7, 1978—45 years ago—I joined a gathering of dedicated women’s leaders to unveil a commemorative plaque featuring the lyrics of my song “Mother” at the Soka Women’s Center (the present-day Shinano Culture Center).
Mother! Ah, mother!
What a richly mysterious
power you possess!
On June 4, 2009, when visiting the Soka Young Women’s Center, I viewed a commemorative plaque featuring the lyrics of the young women’s division song “The Cherry Blossoms of Youth.”
Ah, a new age—the time has come
A golden path now opens up before us
The time has come, and now the women of Soka, warmly embracing others with their “rich power” and their vibrant, positive manner, are advancing enthusiastically along their “golden path.” Nichiren Daishonin would surely have the highest praise for their inspiring example.
Wishing for their health and victory as the treasures of the Soka Gakkai, I once told them: “Each of you is the most precious treasure of all. Happiness does not exist outside of you. There is nothing more wonderful than you. This is what Buddhism teaches. It enables you to bring your most precious treasure—you yourself—to shine. That is what makes it a genuine philosophy.”
We Are Supremely Noble Entities of the Mystic Law
Jeweled bells, jeweled trees, jeweled flowers, jeweled robes, jeweled urns—the realm described in the Lotus Sutra is adorned with all sorts of treasures. The words “treasure” and “jewel” are a part of the names of many bodhisattvas and deities, such as the bodhisattva Jeweled Accumulation and the heavenly being Jeweled Glow, and even the names of Buddhas, such as Many Treasures Buddha.[2] But none of these can compare in splendor and magnificence with the treasure tower that appears in the Lotus Sutra chapter named after it, “The Emergence of the Treasure Tower,” the 11th chapter.
“The Teacher of the Law,” the 10th chapter that precedes it, states that after the Buddha’s passing, wherever the Lotus Sutra is practiced, treasure towers should be erected and adorned and offerings made to them (see The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, p. 204). Then at the start of the following “Treasure Tower” chapter, a colossal treasure tower suddenly emerges from beneath the earth.
This treasure tower is adorned with seven kinds of treasures: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, seashell, agate, pearl and carnelian.[3] It rises to a height of 500 yojanas[4]—about one-third the diameter of planet Earth—and is 250 yojanas wide. Lavishly decorated with jeweled necklaces and ten thousand million jeweled bells, the tower emits a wonderful fragrance that pervades the four directions (see LSOC, 209).
Many Treasures Buddha is seated within the tower. After Shakyamuni transforms the lands three times,[5] the treasure tower opens and Shakyamuni takes a seat beside Many Treasures Buddha in the tower. The beings attending the assembly on Eagle Peak are then raised high into the air and the Ceremony in the Air[6] begins.
What is the true significance of the treasure tower? What is the meaning of the events described during the Ceremony in the Air? Throughout The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Nichiren explains that they teach that we ourselves are supremely noble beings who embody the Mystic Law.
The Ceremony in the Air Depicts the Drama of Life Itself
[Chapter Eleven: The Emergence of the Treasure Tower
Twenty important points]
Point Two, on the seven treasures in the passage “At that time in the Buddha’s presence there was a tower adorned with the seven treasures.”
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The seven treasures are hearing, as in hearing the Law; belief; keeping of the precepts; meditation; diligence; abandoning of attachment to earthly desires; and a sense of shame (or reflecting on oneself). Or again, we may say that they are the seven openings in the head, the eyes, the ears, the nostrils, and the mouth.
Now Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are practitioners who are “adorned with the seven treasures.” (The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, p. 89)
The emergence of the treasure tower, the threefold transformation of the lands and the Ceremony in the Air depicted in the Lotus Sutra may seem to be wild fantasies or fairy tales, but in The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, the Daishonin states: “Now Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are practitioners who are ‘adorned with the seven treasures’” (OTT, 89). The treasure tower resplendent with seven kinds of gems not only extols the nobility of the Lotus Sutra, but also our nobility as people who embrace and practice the Mystic Law, making the treasure of our lives shine through our Buddhist practice.
My mentor, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda said:
The great and mystic life state of Buddhahood is latent within us. The power and condition of this state is beyond imagination, defying all description. Nevertheless, we can actualize it in our own lives. This ceremony of the “Treasure Tower” chapter explains that we can, in fact, bring forth the latent state of Buddhahood from within our very own lives. In other words, through the ceremony of the treasure tower, Shakyamuni was teaching the “mutual possession of the Ten Worlds”[7] and the “three thousand realms in a single moment of life.”[8][9]
The Ceremony in the Air, and indeed the entire Lotus Sutra, is a drama that plays out in Shakyamuni’s own mind, and at the same time, it is a drama that describes our own beings. Drawing forth the life state of Buddhahood by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can break through our individual karma and achieve the fundamental transformation of our lives known as attaining Buddhahood. Not only that, we can enact the ultimate drama of transformation based on the principle of the “three thousand realms in a single moment of life,” by which we can realize happiness for both ourselves and others and contribute to creating a prosperous society and a peaceful world.
The treasure tower adorned with seven kinds of treasures depicted in the Lotus Sutra symbolizes the infinite nobility and potential of our lives that we can demonstrate through our Buddhist practice.
Responding to a question from his disciple Abutsu-bo about the nature of the treasure tower, Nichiren writes:
Abutsu-bo is therefore the treasure tower itself, and the treasure tower is Abutsu-bo himself. No other knowledge is purposeful. It is the treasure tower adorned with the seven kinds of treasures—hearing the correct teaching, believing it, keeping the precepts, engaging in meditation, practicing assiduously, renouncing one’s attachments, and reflecting on oneself. (“On the Treasure Tower,” WND-1, 299)
The Mystic Law enables all people to see and reveal their innate Buddha nature and make it shine. Everyone, without distinction or discrimination, is originally and inherently a noble treasure tower.
This is a truly magnificent affirmation of humanity and a celebration of life. It brims with compassion arising from the great wisdom of equality that embraces the global family of humankind, and with the broad-minded wisdom that respects and supports individuality, enabling it to flourish in all its diversity.
Chanting to the Gohonzon, We Join the Ceremony in the Air
Mr. Toda said:
Nichiren Daishonin established the teaching of sowing implicit in the “Life Span” chapter in the form of the mandala Gohonzon. While the Gohonzon employs Shakyamuni’s ceremony of the treasure tower, it embodies the “mutual possession of the Ten Worlds” and “three thousand realms in a single moment of life” of the Daishonin’s own mind—that is, the life of the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.[10]
Later in the Ceremony in the Air (in the “Life Span” chapter), Shakyamuni reveals his attainment of enlightenment in the infinite past and that this saha world[11] rife with the five impurities[12] is actually the pure land where the Buddha dwells eternally. This is the teaching that the saha world is itself the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light—the oneness of the impure and pure lands.
The human world where we struggle with all kinds of suffering and problems is indeed an impure land awash in earthly desires. But by embracing and practicing the Mystic Law, we can reveal our Buddha nature, gaining enlightenment and attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime, and build a pure land here and now.
Nichiren Daishonin states, “Now Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, exemplify the emergence of the treasure tower” (OTT, 89); and “Now when Nichiren and his followers chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and maintain their faith in it, they are ‘suspended in the air.’ They are ‘suspended in’ or participating in the Ceremony in the Air” (OTT, 91).
Nichiren inscribed the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the Lotus Sutra, based on the Ceremony in the Air. The profound significance of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon is that, when we do so, we each join the Ceremony in the Air.
When we engage in our daily gongyo and chanting, we take part in the noble, splendid Ceremony in the Air, activating the magnificent treasure tower within us.
The women of Soka, with the spirited resolve that everything starts with prayer, challenge every obstacle by first chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo deeply to the Gohonzon. They align their lives with the Mystic Law and embody the great principle of “illuminating and manifesting one’s true nature” (see “The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood,” WND-1, 746).
That’s what makes them strong and invincible, always able to find a way forward. All Buddhas and bodhisattvas throughout the universe are sure to praise and steadfastly protect them.
Our voices vibrantly chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo resound powerfully through the universe. They can be likened to the “loud voice” with which Many Treasures Buddha extolled Shakyamuni’s teachings (see LSOC, 209). With reference to this voice, the Daishonin states: “Now the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo by Nichiren and his followers is such a big voice [loud voice]” (OTT, 90).
The dedicated members of our Many Treasures Group have weathered all kinds of adversity over their long lives to shine brilliantly in their golden years. Powerfully chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they have eloquently demonstrated the validity of Nichiren Buddhism. They have shown great actual proof of changing karma and proudly spoken of the true greatness of the Soka Gakkai and shared their triumphant stories of human revolution.
Let’s always sincerely thank, praise and treasure them with all our hearts.
Devadatta and the Dragon King’s Daughter’s Revolutionary Attainment of Enlightenment
Life is the most precious treasure of all. One of the highlights of the Lotus Sutra, which espouses this lofty philosophy, is the “Devadatta” chapter’s[13] revelation that evil people and women can attain enlightenment.
In this chapter, Shakyamuni reveals that Devadatta[14] [who committed the grave offense of attempting to kill Shakyamuni and cause disunity among the Buddhist Order] was in fact the teacher who led him to the wonderful Law in a former existence. At the assembly, he predicts Devadatta’s future enlightenment, thereby affirming the attainment of enlightenment by evil people.
Next, he discloses that women, too, can attain enlightenment.[15] The sutras prior to the Lotus Sutra deemed women unable to do so in their female form. The Lotus Sutra, however, through the example of the dragon king’s daughter, clearly affirms that women can become Buddhas.
Moreover, the dragon king’s daughter was an animal and a child of only 8. Showcasing her attainment of enlightenment, when people of the day would have thought her the farthest from that possibility, underscores the profound significance and excellence of the Lotus Sutra.
The Daishonin commented on these two examples by stating: “Devadatta is another name for Myoho-renge-kyo” (OTT, 101); and “The dragon girl’s original state, that of a dragon girl, was already in the state of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” (OTT, 109). Both Devadatta and the dragon king’s daughter were able to manifest the life state of Buddhahood because they embody Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Revealing the Precious Jewel That Exists Within
[Chapter Twelve: Devadatta
Eight important points]
Point Eight, on the passage “At that time the dragon girl had a precious jewel worth as much as the thousand-millionfold world [or the major world system] which she presented to the Buddha. The Buddha immediately accepted it. The dragon girl said to Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated and to the venerable one, Shariputra, ‘I presented the precious jewel and the World-Honored One accepted it—was that not quickly done?’
“They replied, ‘Very quickly!’
“The girl said, ‘Employ your supernatural powers and watch me attain Buddhahood. It will be even quicker than that!’” [LSOC, 227]
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachingssays: In the phrase “a precious jewel,” the word “a” or “one” indicates Myoho-renge-kyo [abbreviated as myoho, or the Wonderful Law]. “Precious” indicates the workings of the Wonderful Law, and the jewel indicates the entity of the Wonderful Law. …
Expressing the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, the dragon girl presents the precious jewel to the Buddha. When [T’ien-t’ai’s] Words and Phrases says that this “symbolizes the attainment of perfect understanding,” it is referring to the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. At the time when the precious jewel was still in the hands of the dragon girl, it represented the attainments that were inherent in her nature. But when the Buddha accepted the precious jewel, it became representative of the attainments acquired through religious practice. Herein
is embodied the principle that “acquired through practice” and “inherent in nature”
are not two different things. (OTT, 107–108)
A precious jewel plays a symbolic role in the Lotus Sutra’s account of the dragon king’s daughter’s attainment of enlightenment.
She presents “a precious jewel” she possesses to Shakyamuni in front of many in the assembly who stubbornly refuse to believe she could possibly attain Buddhahood. She then declares that she will attain Buddhahood even more quickly than the time it took her to hand Shakyamuni the jewel.
In this next passage we are studying from The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Nichiren Daishonin explains that the “precious jewel” represents Myoho-renge-kyo itself, encompassing both the entity of the Law (“jewel”) and the workings of the Law (“precious”) (see OTT, 108). He goes on to say that the dragon king’s daughter’s act of handing the jewel to Shakyamuni expresses the principle of “three thousand realms in a single moment of life.”
The Daishonin then explains the precious jewel from two perspectives, “the attainments inherent in one’s nature” and “the attainments acquired through religious practice.” When still in the dragon girl’s hand, the jewel represents the attainments that were inherent in her nature. The principle of “three thousand realms in a single moment of life” is clearly at work, and the life state of Buddhahood is inherent in her life. But that alone is not enough for her to bring forth the great workings of the Mystic Law, or to embody the principle of “three thousand realms in a single moment of life” in a true sense.
When Shakyamuni accepts the precious jewel from the dragon king’s daughter, it represents “the attainments acquired through religious practice.” In terms of our practice today, it means that through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for the happiness of ourselves and teaching others to do the same, we reveal the life state of Buddhahood inherent within us.
These two aspects of “the attainments inherent in one’s nature” and “the “attainments acquired through religious practice” are deeply interrelated. Because we inherently possess the life state of Buddhahood, we can manifest it through our Buddhist practice, and because we can manifest it through our Buddhist practice, it becomes clear that we inherently possess it. These two aspects are nondual, and both are indispensable.
The Lotus Sutra states that the precious jewel in the hand of the dragon girl is “worth as much as the major world system” (LSOC, 227)—in other words, equal in value to all the treasures of the universe. This expresses the supreme value of the Mystic Law, the ultimate Law of the universe, and also the supreme dignity of our lives, which embody the Mystic Law.
There is no doubt that we possess the supreme life state of Buddhahood, and are noble and worthy of respect just as we are. At the same time, however, practice is essential to bring forth our Buddhahood and make it shine brightly.
Though we are inherently Buddhas—or, as the Daishonin states, “the Buddha of the true aspect of reality” (OTT, 91)[16]—that doesn’t mean being content with our lives just as they are. If we become so complacent, we would be missing the opportunity for progress or self-improvement. The important thing is to make our lives shine their brightest in their own way.
The cherry, plum, peach and damson are beautiful because each expresses its life fully and uniquely with its magnificent blossoms. As the Daishonin states, “Each thing—the cherry, the plum, the peach, the damson—in its own entity, without undergoing any change, possesses the eternally endowed three bodies” (OTT, 200). When we embrace the Mystic Law and make our innate Buddhahood shine brightly, our unique qualities blossom to their fullest. Your life, my life, is precious and worthy of respect. So let us each help one another shine our brightest in our own way. That is the practice of the Mystic Law.
Difficulties Are Opportunities for Changing Our Karma
Because we embrace and spread the supreme teaching of the Mystic Law, all kinds of obstacles will assail us. Commenting on the words “This sutra is hard to uphold” (LSOC, 220)[17] from “Treasure Tower” chapter, Nichiren Daishonin warns in The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, “One who upholds this Lotus Sutra should uphold it with the understanding that one will encounter difficulties” (OTT, 97). But he also says, “Difficulties will arise, and these are to be looked on as ‘peaceful’ practices” (OTT, 115). In other words, difficulties test and forge our faith.
The difficulties that descend on us as we deal with life’s realities serve as a foundation for personal growth. Every problem we confront—illness, injury, financial hardship, family troubles, worries about our future—is an opportunity to change our karma.
With the conviction that everything has profound meaning, let’s challenge our problems
with Buddhist faith and practice as our basis. No obstacle is unsurmountable for those who embrace the Mystic Law.
Being Tested by Hardships
Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), often regarded as the founder of modern nursing, once encouraged her fellow nurses, telling them that they were being tested by the hardships they faced, and it was up to them whether they won over them. She gladly embraced hardships, she said, because that is how we prove our worth.[18]
The dedicated members of our Soka Gakkai nurses groups have striven with perseverance and courage to care for and protect people’s infinitely precious lives throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. They are the living embodiments of this conviction.
Today, noble women who embrace the Mystic Law are playing active roles in society around the world and widely spreading the philosophy of respect for life. They are treasure towers powerfully embodying the spirit of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Each shining their brightest in their own unique way, they warmly encourage others, imparting hope and inspiration to all, regardless of gender, race, social position or status. They are true pioneers, demonstrating the greatness of the Mystic Law.
American futurist Hazel Henderson (1933–2022) said that her mother taught her that the happiest moments are not those of your own successes but when someone tells you that you’ve made a positive contribution to their life.
Dr. Henderson expressed unqualified trust for her friends in the Soka Gakkai.
Confidently Sharing the Joy of Buddhist Faith and Practice
We embrace the peerless Mystic Law that enables us and others to manifest the supremely precious life state we possess within. We share precious bonds of trust and friendship with many others in our communities and societies.
Our faith in Nichiren Buddhism enables us to calmly surmount all of life’s hardships and transform them into the power to soar high. Let us advance together, chanting the lion’s roar of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo day after day. With our precious Soka youth in the forefront, let us confidently share the joy of our Buddhist faith and practice in “loud voices” and expand our network of treasure towers dedicated to happiness and peace!
From the April 2024 Living Buddhism
References
- June 4 is the young women’s SGI Ikeda Kayo-kai Day and June 10 is Women’s Division Day. The inaugural meeting of the women’s division was held on June 10, 1951, shortly after Josei Toda became second president of the Soka Gakkai on May 3. The Day of the SGI Ikeda Kayo-kai was inaugurated to commemorate Ikeda Sensei and Mrs. Ikeda’s first visit to the new Soka Young Women’s Center in Shinanomachi, Tokyo, on June 4, 2009. ↩︎
- Many Treasures Buddha: A Buddha who appears in “The Emergence of the Treasure Tower,” the 11th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, where he endorses Shakyamuni’s teachings in the sutra. According to the chapter, while still engaged in bodhisattva practice, Many Treasures Buddha pledges that even after entering nirvana he will appear with his treasure tower in order to attest to the Lotus Sutra’s validity. In the sutra, he proclaims in praise: “Excellent, excellent! Shakyamuni, World-Honored One, that you can take the great wisdom of equality, a teaching to instruct the bodhisattvas, guarded and kept in mind by the Buddhas, the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, and preach it for the sake of the great assembly! It is as you say, as you say. Shakyamuni, World-Honored One, all that you have expounded is the truth!” (The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, pp. 209–10). ↩︎
- The seven kinds of treasures differ among the Buddhist scriptures. In the Lotus Sutra, the seven are gold, silver, lapis lazuli, seashell, agate, pearl and carnelian. ↩︎
- Yojana: A unit of measurement used in ancient India, said to equal the distance that the royal army could march in a day. According to one explanation, it corresponds to about 6 miles. ↩︎
- This is known as the threefold transformation of the lands, or three-time purification of the lands. Shakyamuni’s act of three times transforming or purifying countless lands in preparation for the Ceremony in the Air to make room for the assembling Buddhas from the worlds in the ten directions who are his emanations, described in the “Treasure Tower” chapter of the Lotus Sutra. ↩︎
- Ceremony in the Air: One of the three assemblies described in the Lotus Sutra, in which the entire gathering is suspended in space above the saha world. It extends from “Treasure Tower,” the 11th chapter to the “Entrustment,” the 22nd chapter. The heart of this ceremony is the emergence of the treasure tower from the earth and Shakyamuni entrusting the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, led by Bodhisattva Superior Practices, with the propagation of the essence of the Lotus Sutra in the evil latter age after his passing. ↩︎
- Mutual possession of the Ten Worlds: The principle that each of the Ten Worlds possesses the potential for all ten within itself. “Mutual possession” means that life is not fixed in one or another of the Ten Worlds, but can manifest any of the ten—from the world of Hell to the world of Buddhahood—at any given moment. The important point of this principle is that all beings in any of the nine worlds possess the Buddha nature. This means that every person has the potential to manifest Buddhahood, while a Buddha also possesses the nine worlds and, in this sense, is not separate or different from ordinary people. ↩︎
- Three thousand realms in a single moment of life (Jpn ichinen-sanzen): A philosophical system established by T’ien-t’ai of China based on the Lotus Sutra. The “three thousand realms” indicates the varying aspects and phases that life assumes at each moment. At each moment, life manifests one of the Ten Worlds. Each of these worlds possesses the potential for all ten within itself, thus making one hundred possible worlds. Each of these hundred worlds possesses the ten factors and operates within each of the three realms of existence, thus making three thousand realms. In other words, all phenomena are contained within a single moment of life, and a single moment of life permeates the three thousand realms of existence, or the entire phenomenal world. ↩︎
- Translated from Japanese. Josei Toda, Toda Josei zenshu (Collected Writings of Josei Toda), vol. 6, (Tokyo: Seikyo Shimbunsha, 1986), p. 275. ↩︎
- Ibid. ↩︎
- Saha world: This world, which is full of suffering. Often translated as the world of endurance. In Sanskrit, saha derives from a root meaning “to bear” or “to endure.” For this reason, in the Chinese versions of Buddhist scriptures, saha is rendered as endurance. In this context, the saha world indicates a world in which people must endure suffering. ↩︎
- Five impurities: Also, five defilements. Impurity of the age, of desire, of living beings, of thought (or view) and of life span. This term appears in “Expedient Means,” the 2nd chapter of the Lotus Sutra. 1) Impurity of the age includes repeated disruptions of the social or natural environment. 2) Impurity of desire is the tendency to be ruled by the five delusive inclinations, i.e., greed, anger, foolishness, arrogance and doubt. 3) Impurity of living beings is the physical and spiritual decline of human beings. 4) Impurity of thought, or impurity of view, is the prevalence of wrong views such as the five false views. 5) Impurity of life span is the shortening of the life spans of living beings. ↩︎
- “The Emergence of the Treasure Tower,” the 11th chapter—also abbreviated as the “Treasure Tower” chapter—and “Devadatta,” the 12th chapter, continue to focus on the theme of propagating the Lotus Sutra after Shakyamuni’s death. In the “Treasure Tower” chapter, a giant treasure tower rises from the earth and Many Treasures Buddha, seated within it, attests to the truth of the Lotus Sutra. The Ceremony in the Air begins in this chapter and continues through “Entrustment,” the 22nd chapter. Shakyamuni begins his teaching during the Ceremony in the Air by explaining the “six difficult and nine easy acts,” stressing the importance of propagating the Law after his death. In the “Devadatta” chapter, Shakyamuni attests to the attainment of Buddhahood by Devadatta and the dragon king’s daughter, affirming the attainment of enlightenment by evil persons and by women, a goal that had been denied them in the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings. Reiterating the fact that the Lotus Sutra is the teaching for the enlightenment of all people, he once again stresses the importance of widely propagating this sutra that brings immeasurable benefits. ↩︎
- Devadatta: A cousin of Shakyamuni who, after Shakyamuni’s enlightenment, first followed him as a disciple, but later grew arrogant and became his enemy. Devadatta committed a series of grave offenses, including attempting to kill Shakyamuni and causing disunity among the Buddhist Order. ↩︎
- Dragon king’s daughter: The daughter of the dragon king Sagara, who dwelled in a palace beneath the sea. In the “Devadatta” chapter she is depicted as attaining Buddhahood in her present form, and her preaching in an undefiled world inspires joy in many others who then attain enlightenment. The dragon king’s daughter exemplifies the principles of the attainment of enlightenment by women and attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form. ↩︎
- Nichiren Daishonin states: “The Buddha of the true aspect of reality resides in the midst of the mud and mire of earthly desires. This refers to us living beings. Now when Nichiren and his followers chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they may be termed the Buddha of the Lotus that is the entity of the Law” (The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, p. 91). ↩︎
- “This sutra is hard to uphold” (LSOC, 220): The third of the three pronouncements of the “Treasure Tower” chapter concerning propagating the Law after Shakyamuni’s death. ↩︎
- See Florence Nightingale, Florence Nightingale: The Nightingale School, edited by Lynn McDonald (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2009), p. 846. ↩︎
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