by Rev Yamada - PART III
That which the Buddha has achieved is the rarest and most difficult law to comprehend. The true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas. .
"All phenomena" indicate the changing manifestations of life. They can generally be classified into the Ten Worlds, while the "true entity" is life's fundamental aspect. This true entity of all phenomena is so difficult to comprehend that even Shariputra, known as the foremost in learning, was unable to grasp it.
The Hoben Chapter reads: "This reality consists of appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, internal cause, relation, latent effect, observable effect, and consistency from beginning to end." We acknowledge this reality everytime we do Gongyo, when we recite the end of the Hoben portion: "Nyo ze so. Nyo ze sho. Nyo ze tai. Nyo ze riki. Nyo ze sa. Nyo ze in. Nyo ze en. Nyo ze ka. Nyo ze ho. Nyo ze honmak kukyo to."
What does this mean?
We have studied the Ten Worlds, the basic life conditions. We have also studied their mutual possession. So, thus far, we have explored one hundred of the three thousand worlds.
Our lives constantly change, and we have the potential for enlightenment regardless of our present life condition. But we also possess the Ten Factors. This is another component of life.
Perhaps it would help if you keep in mind the concepts of the oneness of man and his environment (esho funi),and the oneness of body and mind (shiki shin funi). Both of these concepts bear a relationship to the Factors. The latter concept says that a living entity's body and mind are combined in human life; they are two, but not two. As you know, when the brain, the organ that gives rise to life's functions, is dead, so is the body. Possessing mind and body is what it means to be a living entity.
The Ten Factors in T'ien t'ai's theory of Ichinen Sanzen gives even more substance to the idea of the oneness of body and mind. These Ten Factors are life itself. Each of us, and, indeed, all of life has a unique physical form. So, the first factor that all life possesses is appearance, or Nyo ze so.
The second is nature. All life has its spiritual quality. In human beings, this refers to our conscious mind. The internal workings of our minds give rise to the kind of life force we have. So, the second factor is Nyo ze sho.
Appearance and nature, or body and mind, combine to give us the third factor, entity, or Nyo ze tai. We are now a living entity with both a physical and spiritual aspect. And with this union comes power.
Power means the ability to move, to construct, and to achieve. It is the inherent energy in all life. Power or Nyo ze riki, is the fourth factor.
With power comes influence, Nyo ze sa, the fifth of the ten factors. This does not need too much explanation. As parents, we act, and our influence is seen in our families and children. As workers on the job, we construct and achieve, and our influence is felt in that area. But what we accomplish as parents and workers, and as people, is not the same. Some produce very good results; others do not. Why?
Remember that we discussed the Ten Worlds, the basic life conditions, in the two previous lectures. When we relate this to the factors of power and influence, we can really see our basic life tendency. Realizing what this basic tendency is (in other words, what world we are in) will help answer the question, "What causes him, or me, to move throughout life in that way?" If we are in one of the higher worlds, the factors of power and influence will be beneficial. If we are in one of the lower worlds, these two factors will be detrimental to us and those around us.
The sixth of the Ten Factors is internal cause, or Nyo ze in. We touched on this when we asked the question, "What causes him, or me, to move throughout life the way we do?" The cause lies deep in our lives. We planted it there. We know this internal cause was karma.
Buddhism holds that life is eternal. During this lifetime and in many others, we have had the power to make causes. When we previously had to give up our physical bodies, our destiny in future lives was already imprinted on our eternal selves. Our past deeds provided the blueprint for our next life, and we had already put into action the environmental influences into which we would be born.
The seventh factor is relation, or Nyo ze en. Sometimes it is called external cause. It is the environmental link between ourselves and those things outside ourselves to which we respond. In this huge area are countless situations that are the result of karma. We respond and create more karma, both good and bad. The result is that we again place deep in our lives the eighth factor, latent effect, or Nye ze ka.
As we live, even our thoughts produce an effect. The good and evil of our minds plant deep within our lives the latent effect that eventually surfaces as manifest result. This observable effect or Nyo ze ho is the ninth of the Ten Factors. It emerges on the surface of our lives after the passing of time. This is the result of internal cause and latent effect that were made at the same time and which have now become our karma.
The tenth factor is consistency from beginning to end, or Nyo ze honmak kukyo to. What it means is that life exists, appears, and functions consistently in this cycle. It begins with appearance and ends with manifest effect. These Ten Factors are integrated in a single entity at every moment.
If you are keeping in mind the concept of esho funi, you can see that T'ien t'ai goes very deeply into the relationship between man and his environment. This relationship is also determined by internal cause and latent effect, or our karma.
With this discussion of the Ten Factors, we now arrive at a total of one thousand of the realms of Ichinen Sanzen. We have discussed the Ten Worlds, their Mutual Possession and the Ten Factors. There remain only three more realms, which when multiplied by the one thousand with which we are familiar, give us Ichinen Sanzen, or the three thousand worlds in a momentary state of existence. So I will discuss this final component briefly.
The first realm is called go on or the realm of the Five Components. Here, T'ien t'ai even more closely defines "entity." This realm first of all includes the body and all its organs. It is called shiki. It also includes the mind and all its functions: perception or ju; conception or so; will or volition, called gyo; and finally shiki, which means our total consciousness.
The second realm is that of society where we as individuals live in conjunction with others. Each in this realm possesses a basic life tendency, the Ten Worlds and their Mutual Possession, and the Ten Factors.
The third realm is the environment that all of us create together, which in turn supports our existence.
Perhaps now it has occurred to you that, if we want to understand Ichinen Sanzen, we can begin by looking at our own lives. I believe we would find the same answer whether we observed ourselves or tried to understand the totality of all phenomena in the universe.
Perhaps T'ien t'ai's explanation of Ichinin Sanzen seems a little cold. It says nothing about how to become enlightened so that we can become absolutely happy. Yet, the mind is restless and unyielding. If it is possible to know what the Buddha realizes, we want to know it. Where can we find the answer? The Daishonin says to base yourself on the Ninth
Consciousness. It lies deep beneath the five senses. It is deeper than perception, conception, and volition. It is the fundamental force that is the essence of our lives.
The Ten Factors in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism reveal the Dai Gohonzon which embodies the profound doctrine of Ichinen Sanzen. So, by faith in and practice to the Gohonzon, we can obtain the power of the Buddha to make our lives identical to that of the Buddha. The primary cause breaks the bonds of karma that have predetermined our existence and environment.
In other words, when we base our faith on the unchanging reality of the Law through our faith and practice to the Gohonzon, our lives begin to exhibit their highest nature, enlightenment. When this highest nature emerges, body and mind, power and influence become purer, and Buddhahood becomes the internal cause, the latent effect and, eventually, the manifest effect. It takes time and effort. But Buddhism promises the absolute happiness of an enlightened life. This is possible through the Gohonzon.
Three years and six months have passed since I replaced Reverend Kudo as Chief Priest of Myohoji Temple, at the direction of High Priest Nikken Shonin. During these years, I did my best to protect the Gohonzon of Myohoji Temple, and with my small power, conducted ceremonies. It was my good fortune to have the full cooperation of all members. And my small efforts cannot be compared to yours. But through your cooperation, I have been able to fulfill my duties as a priest. So let me avail myself of this opportunity and thank all of you for your heartfelt support. Further, I intend to continue using all my power to propagate the Daishonin's Buddhism.
As you know, study based on the Gosho serves to deepen your faith in the Gohonzon. It is very important that we gain a correct understanding of faith and a practical view of practice. Without a basic knowledge of Buddhism, understanding Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is difficult. Even though you practice Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, there are times when you reach a state of stagnation. You can solve these difficulties by receiving direction and guidance. If you follow the path of Nichiren Daishonin's guidance, the great power of the Mystic Law will manifest itself within your lives, and you will be able to overcome any difficulty. So, in order to accomplish worldwide propagation, study is indispensable. Others will understand the Daishonin's Buddhism through our words when they are based upon our insight into the principles of Buddhism. So, I hope you study seriously. My advice is that you don't put it off. The longer you delay, the less inclined you will be to do so.
Thank you very much.
