February 25, 2025
STUDY CLASS ON THE LOTUS SUTRA AND NICHIREN SHONIN’S TEACHINGS
The Seven Great Parables in the Lotus Sutra (6):
“The Gem Inside a Garment”
By Rev. Kosei Uchida
There is a proverb, “A book that remains shut is but a block.” !is means that even useful things are of no help unless they are put into practical use. You must make the best of your prodigious talent,
otherwise it will all be wasted. A parable called, “The Gem Inside a Garment” in Chapter 8 of the Lotus Sutra, “the Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Five Hundred Disciples” delves into this point.
“Suppose there was a poor man who loved to drink without making any future plans. One day he visited his good, wealthy friend. !e poor man was
treated to drink and fell asleep drunk. His friend had to go out on official business. Worrying about his future,
the good friend fastened a priceless gem inside the garment of the sleeping man as a gift to him and then went out. The drunken man did not notice what his friend had given him. After a while he got up, and he went to another country.
He had great difficultyculty in getting food and clothing. He satisfied himself with what little he had earned. Some time later, the good friend happened to see him still leading a hand-to-mouth life.
He said, ‘Alas, man! I fastened a priceless gem inside your garment so that you might live peacefully and satisfy your five desires. !e gem is still there, and you do not notice it. You are working hard worrying about your livelihood. What a fool you are! Trade that gem for what you want! You will not be short of anything you want.’”
Remember, this story tells that you can become rich not financially but spiritually. The good, wealthy friend is the drunken man is likened to us ordinary people who only seek their own benefit, living precariously day to day. the Buddha. The priceless gem is the Buddha nature and the lining of the garment represents the innermost part of our heart. The Buddha says that we are not
aware that we all possess the Buddha nature at the bottom of our hearts, losing our way in life. !is parable shows that it is important to be conscious of the Buddha nature that is inside you and to reconsider your self-indulgent way of life. Do not handle your life callously.Once you notice the precious gem inside of you, you’d better cultivate it so that it will flourish and blossom.
Two Vehicles Obtaining Buddhahood (nijo sabutsu) and Buddha Attaining Enlightenment in the Eternal Past (kuon jitsujo)
Rev. Sensho Komukai
According to Kaimoku-sho (Open Your Eyes), there are two vitally important doctrines in the Lotus Sutra: (1) the Two Vehicles obtaining Buddhahood, and (2) the Buddha attaining enlightenment in the eternal past. !ese two doctrines will help you understand what Nichiren Shonin meant in his two important treatises, Kaimoku-sho and Kanjin Honzon-sho (Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Venerable One).
Two Vehicles Obtaining Buddhahood (nijo sabutsu)
In Buddhism, the mind of living beings contains ten realms (hell, hungry spirits, animals, asura demons, human
beings, heavenly beings, sravaka, pratekyabuddha, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas). Sravaka are those who are delivered from worldly desires
by hearing the teaching from the Buddha. Pratekyabuddha desire to enter Nirvana by discovering the inter- connected causes by themselves. In Mahayana Buddhism both sravaka and pratekyabuddha, commonly called the “Two Vehicles,” are not considered to
be able to attain Buddhahood, because they are seeking their own salvation, not doing something helpful for others.
However, the Lotus Sutra says that even the Two Vehicles can obtain Buddhahood. Why is that? !e “mutual possession of ten realms” is a teaching of great importance. Each of the ten realms contains characteristics of the other
nine realms. A human mind possesses characteristics of the other nine realms.
When you are angry, you are in hell.When you are greedy, you are in hungry spirits. When you act on impulse, you are in animals. When you are quarreling, you are in asura demons. When you
are beside yourself with joy, you are in heaven. When you are seeking Bodhi
Way for your own sake, you are either in sravaka or pratekyabuddha. When you help others out of your compassion, you are a bodhisattva. When you are awakened and you try to make others awakened, you are a Buddha. Even while
you are human beings, you have the ispositions of the other nine realms.
You can attain Buddhahood, because you have a disposition of the Buddha. Those in each realm can have both potentials to fall into hell and also to become a Buddha. !is is the basic doctrine of “mutual possession of ten realms.”
So, if the Two Vehicles are unable to obtain Buddhahood, this means that the realm of Buddhas is not contained in the Two Vehicles, and therefore the doctrine of “mutual possession of ten realms” cannot be realized. Other Mahayana sutras do not accept the Two Vehicles obtaining Buddhahood, but the Lotus Sutra assures those who are part of the Two Vehicles, like Sariputra, of their future Buddhahood. Without the Two Vehicles attaining Buddhahood, “mutual possession of ten realms” cannot be brought into existence. All those in each realm can attain Buddhahood. You see how important the “mutual possession of ten realms” in the Lotus Sutra really is.
Buddha Attaining Enlightenment in the Eternal Past (kuon jitsujo)
Shakyamuni Buddha, who people believe attained Enlightenment at Buddhagaya in India for the first time, reveals in Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra, “Duration of Life of the Tathagata,” that he has been enlightened since the eternal past and has resided in this saha world to edify and save people. He appears in this world out of his compassion toward us as a provisional figure in human shape to expound the Truth. Expediently, he showed his Parinirvana, but he did not pass away. In fact, his life is eternal. Why does he show his Nirvana? Because people become arrogant when the Buddha is always at your side. Do not be disappointed that the Buddha never shows up. He always stays with you and will appear to save you when you wish to see the Buddha with all your heart. Feel the Buddha in front of you. !e world we live in is the very land of tranquil light where the Original Buddha of Eternal Existence always stays to expound the true teachings.
The idea of “3,000 existences contained in one thought-moment (ichinen sanzen)”is based on these two doctrines.