Rev Shobo Sakata
Take for example, mind. The essential nature of mind is fundamentally immutable but it appears mutable through our ignorance or delusion. Accordingly, Suchness has two aspects: one is immutable and the other is mutable.
The difficult point for us to understand lies in the mutable aspect of Suchness.
This is because we tend to think that Suchness must be immutable and that it must be a static entity which lurks beneath the surface of changeable phenomena. However, Buddhism claims that even immutable Suchness transforms itself into phenomenal effects (quasi-existence), but at the same time retains its fundamental immutability, just as mind is immutable but appears pure or impure, depending on whether it is influenced by ignorance or wisdom.
I think that this idea of mutable Suchness is revolutionary in the world of philosophy and religion.
Concerning Suchness having two aspects, “Awakening of Faith” states as follows:
Suchness has two aspects: one is that it is truly empty (mutable), for this aspect can, in the final sense, reveal what is real. The other is that it is truly nonempty (immutable), for its essence itself is endowed with undefiled and excellent qualities.
The meaning of the above passage is that Suchness has two orders: the transcendental and the phenomenal, the universal and the particular, the static and the dynamic, the profane and the supraprofane, the absolute and the relative and so forth.
The absolute order, therefore, does not exist apart from the relative order. In other words, they differ epistemologically, but not ontologically (epistemology: the study or theory of the origin, nature, methods and limits of knowledge.
Ontology: the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being, reality, or ultimate substance).
Man (or ones mind) is presented as being located at the intersection of these opposing orders. The following is a chart of what I have explained above.
Fa-tsang states concerning the above diagram: “The two aspects of Suchness are (1) it is immutable; (2) it obeys conditions (influence).”
Why does the absolute (Suchness), in obedience to condition, become different things (phenomena) and yet these things, or phenomena, are not apart from the absolute? Herein lies the importance of the concept of emptiness, or Ku.
Please take a look at the chart again. You can see “emptiness” (the truly empty and the mere empty) both in The World of the Absolute and The World of Relative. It is very difficult for those who are entirely unwrapped in the world of phenomena to understand the concept of Ku (emptiness).
The most popular simile to explain Ku is the concept of “zero.” As a mathematical concept and symbol, zero has a great many functions and utilities. In short, zero is both nothing and the possibility (potential) of everything.
The same holds true for Ku. It is nothing in the negative sense and is the possibility of everything (mutable) in the positive sense. In other words, it is in its nature to be conditioned or influenced.
If the truly empty in the world of the absolute is conditioned by ignorance, it appears to be quasi-existence, and if the “empty” in the world of phenomena is conditioned by wisdom, it appears to be immutability (absolute).
This is what Fa-tsang means when he states: “Immutability transforms itself into phenomenal things, but at the same time, it retains its absoluteness.”
The above chart is the metaphysical explanation of the relationship between the nine worlds and Buddhahood. But, how can one put it into practice? In this respect, most of the orthodox Buddhist sects expound that all believers in Mahayana teachings must endeavor in the six paramitas with their body, mouth and mind for at least three kalpas in order to reach the world of enlightenment.
However, the Daishonin's explanation in regard to this issue is very radical and soteriological (soteriology; spiritual salvation), which is peculiar in the so-called Kamakura Buddhism.
The Daishonin emphasizes the utmost primacy of faith in the Gohonzon in order to enter the world of enlightenment. In other words, he puts the foremost importance on faith in Suchness or the Buddha-nature, which is Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, within each life. Faith is to believe in the existence of Buddhahood, or Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, in our life.
According to Nichiren Daishonin, faith must play the central role in attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime. He states: “Faith is the true cause of wisdom or, wisdom can be replace by faith (faith is tantamount to wisdom).”
I believe that the Daishonin's strong emphasis on the utmost primacy of faith is derived from his empirically religious persecution, that is, having read the Lotus Sutra with his body, mind and mouth.
