Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eagle!data.nas.nasa.gov!news From: kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans) Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern Subject: Shakyamuni and Nichiren Daishonin Keywords: Buddhism Message-ID: <1990Nov25.012754.12879@nas.nasa.gov> Date: 25 Nov 90 01:27:54 GMT References: <1990Nov21.011554.7514@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Nov16.020441.13897@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Nov8.012939.14684@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Nov18.195707.15515@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Nov22.003547.2369@nas.nasa.gov> Sender: news@nas.nasa.gov Organization: NAS Program, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA Lines: 55 Approved: prabhu@amelia.nas.nasa.gov This reply is in 2 postings. >> This is the true Buddhism to follow in this day and age. What you are >> talking about is Hinayana or provisional Mahayana Buddhism, which >I personally believe that Lotus sutra is one important sutra of Mahayana >Buddhism. Six paramitas which I wrote in my previous posting are also >written in the Lotus sutra. I don't know what is provisional Mahayana Buddhism. In the Sutra of Infinite Meaning (expounded just before Shakyamuni Buddha (SB) taught the Lotus Sutra), he said something like "discarding the provisional teachings, I will expound only the supreme Way" and "in these more than 40 years or so, I have not yet revealed the truth" and "all truths and wisdom come from one law" and this is the highest teaching that I "have preached, am preaching and will preach" and then expounded the Lotus Sutra, with no prompting from his disciples. The meaning of all the other sutras is clear with an understanding of the Lotus Sutra. To understand Buddhism, one must understand the time. Some of the quotes below, I am not sure which sutra they are from, but looking them up would take some time, so for expedience I will not state which sutra they are from. SB expounded how his teachings would and should be practiced in the 5 500 year periods after his death. In the 1st 500 years, the Hinayana teachings could lead some to enlightenment as there would be faith, practice and proof. In the 2nd 500 years, the provisional Mahayana (all Mahayana sutras except the Lotus) would replace the Hinayana. In the 3rd and 4th 500 years the Mahayana teachings wouyld be the ones to propagate as there would be faith and practice. In the 5th 500 years, none of his teachings would lead to enlightenment, but that kosen-rufu (worldwide propagation true Buddhism) should be established and "never allow its flow to cease". >As I said before, there are many branches of Buddhism. >Depending on your own karma, you choose the best suitable one to follow. In the Sutra of Infinite Meaning he said "all truths and wisdom come from one law". This law is hidden in the Lotus Sutra. The Sanskrit (or Pali) was translated into Chinese by Kumarajiva (4th century A.D.) because he had an understanding of Buddhism from Nagarjuna's commentaries, that he could correctly translate it. This translation was taken to Japan by Saicho, also known as The Great Teacher Dengyo. The Japanese pronounciation of the old Chinese title of the Lotus Sutra is Myoho-renge-kyo. Adding the Sanskrit word Nam (short for namas, devte mind and body) to the beginning, done by Nichiren Daishonin (ND) (1222-1282) to get Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Then after studying all of SB's sutras, ND declared the fundamental cause of all the sufferings of mankind to be incorrect religious beliefs. -- Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Respectfully, Keith Evans kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov