Ichinen Sanzen Discussion

[Queequeg]

Masaru asked me to elaborate on Nichiren's transcending of identity at Tatsunokuchi. I suggested this has to be understood through the lens of ichinen sanzen. I don't think most of us have even an elementary understanding of this teaching, and yet, this teachings plays an integral role in Nichiren's teachings. Maybe we ought to have a discussion about it. Here I'm proposing a structure for this discussion.

Question: ...Now what is meant by the observation of the mind?

Answer: The observation of the mind means to observe one’s own mind and to find the Ten Worlds within it. This is what is called observing the mind. For example, though we can see the six sense organs of other people, we cannot see our own. Only when we look into a clear mirror do we see, for the first time, that we are endowed with all six sense organs. Similarly, various sutras make reference here and there to the six paths and the four noble worlds [that constitute the Ten Worlds], but only in the clear mirror of the Lotus Sutra and of the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai’s Great Concentration and Insight can one see one’s own Ten Worlds, hundred worlds and thousand factors, and three thousand realms in a single moment of life.

Nichiren Kanjin no Honzon Sho, Object of Worship for the Contemplation of the Mind

I can't say that I categorically understand ichinen sanzen (three-thousand worlds in a single thought-moment), but I am confident I have at least some understanding of it; enough to facilitate a discussion about it in general terms.

So, let's try to tackle this mofo of a teaching in an open discussion thread. I'm doing this as much for my edification as anything else, as I find that one of the best ways to test one's understanding of something is to try and talk about it with others; I find that in these sorts of contexts, one's ignorance, or the shortcomings of one's views, are very quickly and easily exposed.

What I'm presenting is nothing special - resources for learning about this teaching are out there. However, because its such a difficult subject, its not readily or comprehensively taught in Nichiren schools (partly, I don't think the leaders of the community, lay or clergy, have a good grasp on this themselves; partly, the audience doesn't have the capacity to understand, or at least leaders of the community perceive that to be the case.)

For Lotus Sutra Buddhists, this is it. Ichinen Sanzen is the Grand Unified Theory of Buddhism. This is the explanation of everything that ever was, is, and ever will be. It is the diagnosis and cure for your individual suffering and our collective suffering. It explains nothing less than the meaning of life.

At the outset, let us be clear about one thing:

This is about awakening to the actual reality of your life. This is not about reducing stress, or reforming bad habits, or "tapping your potential" (at least not in the limited, samsaric sense) although these and more are, as a matter of course, addressed by the practice directed to awakening.

This [Lotus] sutra deals with the original mind [of enlightenment] in the waking state. But because living beings are accustomed to thinking in the mental terms appropriate to a dream state, it borrows the language of the dream state in order to teach the waking state of the original mind. However, though the language is that employed in a dream state, the intention behind it is to give instruction in the waking state of the original mind. This is the aim of both the text of the Lotus Sutra itself and of the commentaries on it. If one does not clearly understand this, one will invariably misunderstand the wording of both the sutra and its commentaries.

Nichiren, The Unanimous Declaration by the Buddhas

This is not about fairy tales and myths. This is about your identity, your experience, the beginning and the end, and awakening to it. This is a discussion for anyone who has ever stopped in their tracks in bewilderment at everything that is happening in their life and asked themselves, "WTF is happening?!!" Any theoretical discussion of this teaching divorced from application in your life is just vanity, an apparition conjured by your mind (indeed this applies to all the Buddha's teachings). Tientai explained that practice, specifically contemplation, is the warp and the Buddhist teachings are the woof; you can't have cloth with only one. If the teachings are not grounded in your lived experience, what are you doing? Its not Buddhism. The Buddha taught this as well - the Buddhist path in one way is the practice of a dialectic between listening to teachings and then testing their veracity through personal experience. Nichiren elaborated on this as the Three Pillars - Faith, Practice and Study. Faith and Study are essentially a further elaboration on the process which occurs in "Listening" and then its translation into practice.

Borrowing from Zhiyi (The Great Teacher Tientai), there is Relative Sublimity, and Absolute Sublimity. Relative Sublimity is most of what we can talk about as Buddha Dharma: Truth in contrast to Falsity; Enlightenment in contrast to Ignorance; Good in contrast to Evil; Object in contrast to Subject, etc. Essentially, Relative Sublimity is about the passage from ignorance to awakening. Absolute Sublimity, in contrast, is the reality of awakening without reference to anything else; awakening on its own terms. In the process of talking about Nichiren's practice of Ichinen Sanzen, we are going to need to reference these two modes of Sublimity - the Relative and the Absolute. This is down the line, but in approaching discussion of Ichinen Sanzen, and Buddhism in general, its important to keep this distinction in mind. For now, we're in the Relative. What we are talking about for the most part by default will be Relative - essentially, bulwarks for maintaining your mind in Right View. We'll get to the absolute when the discussion works its way to "Reading with the Body".

So, that's the preface. Here's an outline of approaching this, and I am roughly following the approach structured into Lotus Sutra Buddhism - a progressive approach, with each stage building on the previous stages, ultimately, returning to the beginning.

The Inclusive Threefold Truth.
The Ten Worlds
The One Hundred Worlds: The Mutual Identity of the Ten Worlds
The Thousand Factors
The Three Thousand in a Single Thought Moment.
The (Inclusive Threefold) Truth: Absolute Sublimity or Back to Your Life

If there is interest in this discussion, let's do it. Participation is critical. If I'm the only one, then its not a discussion and I don't want to bother. I'll get the wheel spinning, but participation is what will keep the momentum going. Ideally, I can step back and the discussion will unfold on it own; I know there are folks out there who understand this teaching who can help push the discussion along; I'll just commit to keeping it on track according to the outline above.

[Myoho-Nameless]

there is phrase or word I think for the phenomenon of wanting to participate in something but only after you see enough other people doing it as well whose particulars escape me......Well I will put my own shy attempt at getting this ball rollin'.

Alright, well.....I have heard it said that Ichinen Sanzen essentially boils down to "moment by moment your life both embraces and permeates the entire universe".


how is that for a beginning and end? at that moment how did Nichiren's "life" embrace and permeate the entire universe?

[Queequeg]

Well I will put my own shy attempt at getting this ball rollin'.

Alright, well.....I have heard it said that Ichinen Sanzen essentially boils down to "moment by moment your life both embraces and permeates the entire universe".

how is that for a beginning and end? at that moment how did Nichiren's "life" embrace and permeate the entire universe?

Don't be shy, We can do this dance!

So what does that mean for your life to embrace and permeate the entire universe?

[Myoho-Nameless]

Don't be shy, We can do this dance!

So what does that mean for your life to embrace and permeate the entire universe?

Asking a mildly autistic fella to not be shy? You have testicular fortitude to be sure......



Lets say my life embraces and permeates the entire universe. I have an interest, not an expertise, in the whole "non materialism" thing going on with rogue scientists these days. To my knowledge, "stuff" aint actually made of "stuff", and even the Buddha I think rejected atomism, the belief that stuff is made of tiny unchaining particles. The Greeks inherited a tradition that said that in this changing world there is in fact an unchanging reality, the materialists proposed atoms, Plato proposed that whole theory of forms thing. There are those who now say that materialism has actually transcended itself, we still talk about "atoms", however even they are not "atoms" in the sense of fundamental unchanging things, they too are made of other things.

I don't like to talk too much about things I do not understand (I remember talking with the old gang back on the Nichiren Sangha about climate change, and thinking of another member "alright dude....if you do not know about the carbon cycle, photosynthesis, algae, oil, alcohol, etc, maybe you shouldn't even HAVE an opinion on climate change"), but there is a growing camp of people who think that the strict materialist perspective is full of holes, and I have been weirded out by the idea of unconscious atoms producing unconscious brains producing conscious minds. Had I not been weirded out since I was a kid about that, I might never have bothered with religion at all. So lazy are they in fact, that some of them believe we are in reality not conscious at all, there is just this massive unconscious universe and we have this opposite solipsism where we only "think" we are aware, when in reality we are not, our minds are not even a fart. I ask you who is the REAL camp of far out LSD tripping hippies? "Dude...we are not even really alive". Can't answer the hard problem of consciousness? Its OK! Just pretend its not real!

On the other hand there is the view that the "atom", the unchanging reality underlying all stuff is actually "mind" itself. I am sure we have all heard of this view, I think that is "idealism". I gather our branch of Buddhism is not actually idealist, any more than it is materialist, or it accepts both at the same time. But right now, when if I try to imagine my life embracing and permeating the whole universe, thats sort of what I imagine, there is a greater mind "under" my "lesser self", that is under everyone else's mind as well, and is in fact the source of the whole universe. If true, SOMEHOW ichinen sanzen boils down to that. The ten worlds according to my capacity now, are basically mood swings, I have not digested the ten factors fully yet.

meow

[Masaru]

Masaru asked me to elaborate on Nichiren's transcending of identity at Tatsunokuchi. I suggested this has to be understood through the lens of ichinen sanzen. I don't think most of us have even an elementary understanding of this teaching, and yet, this teachings plays an integral role in Nichiren's teachings. Maybe we ought to have a discussion about it.

If there is interest in this discussion, let's do it. Participation is critical. If I'm the only one, then its not a discussion and I don't want to bother. I'll get the wheel spinning, but participation is what will keep the momentum going. Ideally, I can step back and the discussion will unfold on it own; I know there are folks out there who understand this teaching who can help push the discussion along; I'll just commit to keeping it on track according to the outline above.

This is like shaking a tree for low hanging fruit and having tickets to a concert for your favorite group fall out. Except the concert is across the country and a few hours from the moment you find them. I imagined you had thoughts ruminating on the subject that you would pour into a blog post of a response, but unfortunately I don't have the time at present to give thoughtful, or even coherent responses for discussion. I also keep getting my posts deleted when I attempt to post as my session times out. Maybe it's a syncronicitous sign I should be tending to other matters?

Regardless, I have to tap out. No time to give the subject the attention it deserves.

So what does that mean for your life to embrace and permeate the entire universe?

[1] That life and death are misleading conventions, [2] as is the separation between the individual self and the environment it inhabits, [3] as is the separation between selves and that [4] in a very real, direct, but almost inscrutable way, the slightest change or aspect in any one part of reality is implied by any and every part of, and by the totality of, reality as a whole. [5] So in a "The Secret" kind of way, you can actually send ripple effects of causality through reality on various levels simply by changing your outlook or overall consciousness because [6] even though you are implied by the universe, the universe is also implied by you, and your change in "life-state" can cause the proverbial tail to wag the proverbial dog.

It could also mean I-Ching coin tossing and remote viewing from basements are completely worthwhile activities. Like I said, not enough time to filter the stupid from my responses. Stressful times.

[Queequeg]

I don't think there is room in a blog post to explain it all, that's why I just referenced ichinen sanzen.

Thanks for your posts on what it means for your life to permeate the universe. If I can make some generalizations, Nameless more or less emphasized "Emptiness" and what might be one of the interpretations of Buddha nature, and Masaru put it in terms of interdependence. That's a good segway into the Threefold Inclusive Truth.

The Threefold Inclusive Truth is a critical concept in Lotus Buddhism. Primarily, it proposes a particular way in which the Absolute and Conditional modes of looking at reality should be understood.

Emptiness - some forms of Buddhism propose this as the ultimate reality and its realization as the pinnacle of practice. Its too much to go into all the shades of this, so we'll stick to how its understood in the so-called Perfect Teaching of Lotus Buddhism which wouldn't necessarily disagree with that statement per se, but may mean it in a very different sense than other schools of thought.

Emptiness is the selfless quality of all dharmas. What is meant by that is along the lines of what Nameless was referring to as the shortcomings of atomism and materialism - There are no essential things - ie. things that cannot be reduced to something else. Atoms break down to protons, neutrons and electrons, which break down to quarks, and then bosons, and I'm sure physicists will theorize further particles, ad infinitum. The same infinite deconstruction can be applied to ideas as well as all material. One of the things that is constantly present in the deconstruction of objects is that you can always make a detour into deconstruction of ideas, which turn to deconstruction of the self... Emptiness is the quality of things having this impossibility of irreducible self.

Conditionality is the observation that all dharmas are interdependent. This is along the lines Masaru was suggesting.

In most Buddhist teachings, you have these two truths arranged in some relationship, usually with Emptiness being the Real nature of reality and some sort of realization of it as the goal of practice. In Lotus Teachings, a third "Truth" is identified which is the complete identity of Emptiness and Conditionality. Some Middle Path teachings imply this third truth but Tientai distinguished it as a special distinct quality. According to Professor Ng, this third quality is the Buddha Nature which can be described to simultaneously exhibit the qualities of being conventionally existent and empty at the same time, and neither of these qualities as well.

That is an extremely limited explanation. I am not sure if that makes any sense. But before moving on, its critical to have an understanding of it operating in the background as we consider the building blocks proper of Ichinen Sanzen.

So, let's talk about this a little.

[Myoho-Nameless]

Welp, this season I had quite the harvest of curcurbitaceae. well....."quite" in relation to last year........ and a few things that "should" be a foot long or more are the size of my fist, but whatever.

A spaghetti squash is made mostly of the basic constituent parts of all known organisms, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous. There are several other important elements and compounds that should be noted. Through a complicated process plants get these mostly from the soil or other growing media. A fruit like a squash is made of those nutrients, and the energy stored in hydrocarbons generated by the combination of H2O, CO2, and sunlight in the chloroplasts of leaf tissue, as far as I know, we still do not have a full understanding of how this happens. So a squash is made of many other things that came together to allow it to exist in the first place, and so in a sense it IS those things. And yet it is also still a thing on it's own. These facts are both true at the same time.

That is my current understanding of the three truths, how am I doing?

[illarraza]

In This Latter Age, People Principally Cycle through the Lower Six Worlds.

Question: How can that be? Tientai describes Three Thousand Worlds In a Momentary Existence of Life [Ichinen Sanzen].

Answer: Ichinen Sanzen is a “non-random generator” but appears to the unenlightened as a random generator. From moment to moment, any one of the Three Thousand Worlds may manifest but not randomly. This is akin to the non-random generator of a slot machine which appears to the slot player as random. The slot machine, like Ichinen Sanzen, is set for most pulls [moments] to lead to no return on the money (Hell), little return on the money (Hunger, Animality, Anger, Tranquility, and Rapture), some return on the money (Learning and Self Realization), a small jackpot (Bodhisattva), and the super jackpot (Buddha). We set the non-random generator of Ichinen Sanzen though our thoughts, words, and deeds, just as the engineer sets the non-random generator of the slot machine with his knowledge of physics. The functioning of the non-random generator of our Three Thousand Worlds from moment to moment is determined by the Law of Myoho renge kyo [cause and effect] while the functioning of the non-random generator of the slot machine is determined by the Law of physics.

It is as rare to continuously hit the super jackpot pull after pull as it is to continuously manifest Buddhahood from moment to moment. However, one may continuously hit the super jackpot if one has a powerful properly configured electromagnetic device attached to the slot machine which alters the generator of the machine [making it always come up super jackpot]. In like manner, chanting Namu Myoho renge kyo with a correct faith can alter the generator of Ichinen Sanzen so many or all of our life moments come up Buddhahood. Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra is an example of one who has manifested Buddhahood since the infinite past. Nichiren Daishonin also strung together many moments of Buddhahood which will carry over into the next life. We too are able to string together many moments of Buddhahood through a correct faith and practice of the Lotus Sutra.

[Masaru]

Any theoretical discussion of this teaching divorced from application in your life is just vanity, an apparition conjured by your mind (indeed this applies to all the Buddha's teachings).

As you mentioned above, the resources are out there. Anyone with the time, patience and access to the necessary resources can gain a technical understanding of ichinen-sanzen. If they're a good writer with an analytical mind, they can consolidate, abridge, and paraphrase these multiple academic sources to give a comprehensive, if somewhat inaccurate, picture of the theory. This is a good deal for the layperson and also helps the person doing the work to hone their understanding, forcing them to first realize, and then pushing them to overcome, the inconsistencies in their own ideas.

But what if we did some creative extrapolation. Some meta-idea type stuff. What do you think ichinen-sanzen really means, and what does it mean to you. My answer was that tails can wag dogs, and I wag dogs sometimes. I also admit that I don't entirely understand the significance of ichinen-sanzen's finer points. Illaraza's idea is that ichinen-sanzen can fix the slot machine of life in your favor. These are obviously views based on the lives of laypeople who have little time for indulging in theory. What I would like to read, is what Matt/Queequeq actually thinks is going on.

I remember "Dave" from the old forum, who I hounded away because he kept claiming to have "special powers" for which he would provide no evidence. (I'm enough of a crazy @-hole to travel to another country with borrowed or rented instruments just to call BS on someone.) What Dave needed was community, but he kept downing the Nichiren tradition and claiming to have special powers, so I tried to keep him from getting anyone else rolling on ball of crazy. There are some dear people out there who really think they can control the weather. But I don't think it's bad to come down from the level of high theory (Learning) into the world of Humanity for a while for a, perhaps, less than rational discussion.

What does Ichinen-sanzen mean to your own life? No need to collect your citations for this response.

[nichirenista]

Okay, so … I've read Queequeg's original post about three times now. Just wanted to say I "support" this discussion, because it's a topic I've wanted to understand for the last three years, but I don't have anything to add at the moment. But I wanted to chime in and say I'm reading along. Thanks.

[Queequeg]

Yo peeps. Been meaning to get back into this thread... but this is as gnarly as it gets and I just have not had the time to do it justice. I have something rolling in mind on how to illustrate some of the concepts involved here. Forgive me for starting and not immediately following through. Next few days...

[Myoho-Nameless]

All is forgiven, you are the smart guy remember? take your time.

[Queequeg]

smart is as smart does. i don't do smart. i do pedantic, though.

[Masaru]

smart is as smart does. i don't do smart. i do pedantic, though.

I mean, just so long as you don't feel like you're lecturing third graders or anything... But we cool Q-Dawg. You classic, homie. You a Samurai Jack attack, on the real.

[illarraza]

Here are some other thoughts on Ichinen Sanzen or Three Thousand Realms (or Worlds) In a Momentary Existence of Life

Each of the Ten Realms [Hell, Hunger, Animality, Humanity, Rapture, Learning, Self Realization, Bodhisattva, and Buddha], one of which is manifest from moment to moment, contains Ten Realms which are latent, thus making One Hundred Realms. Each of the One Hundred Realm contains the Ten Factors, thus making One Thousand Realms. Each Realm also contains the Three Principles of Individuation [the Realm of the Individual, the Realm of the Society of Beings in which the individual resides, and the Realm of the Environment in which the individual resides] thus making Three Thousand Realms.

In general, a Bodhisattva [selfless being] manifests primarily Bodhisattva from moment to moment and always quickly returns to Bodhisattva when manifesting one of the other realms. The Bodhisattva has the Appearance, Nature, Entity, Power, Influence, Cause, Condition, Latent Effect, Manifest Effect, and Consistency from Beginning to End of a Bodhisattva. Both the society or collection of beings in which the Bodhisattva resides and the environment [land] of the Bodhisattva manifest predominantly the Realm of Bodhisattva.

In general, a cat manifests primarily Animality from moment to moment and always quickly returns to Animality when manifesting one of the other realms. The cat has the Appearance, Nature, Entity, Power, Influence, Cause, Condition, Latent Effect, Manifest Effect, and Consistancy from Beginning to End of an animal. Both the society or collection of beings in which the cat resides and the environment of the cat manifest predominantly the Realm of Animality.

A Bodhisattva will manifest Animality for periods of time when, for example, he experiences the urge to sleep or defecate.

A cat will manifest Bodhisattva for periods of time when, for example, it acts selflessly towards its kittens or its owner.

Tientai asserted that every being has the potential to elevate its central life tendency [or the Realm or Realms to which it gravites] through the principle of Ichinen Sanzen. For example, a cat can create the causes and conditions for Bodhisattva by either very strongly [for a moment] or habitually acting selflessly. Intent, according to Tientai, is far less important than actuality or suchness in elevating [or lowering] one's central life tendency.

The practice advocated by Tientai was meditation directed towards perceiving the Three Thousand Realms In a Momentary Existence of Life. He recited the title of the Lotus Sutra ten thousand times a day for his personal practice but since the time and the people's capacity were not ripe for the widespread propagation of the principle practice of the Lotus Sutra, he refrained from advocating this practice to others.

Nichiren Daishonin taught Actual Ichinen Sanzen or one moment of exceptionally profound faith and joy in Namu Myoho renge kyo and its continuous recollection is itself Buddhahood.

illarraza

[illarraza]

Finest lecture on THEORETICAL Ichinen Sanzen I have come upon:

by Reverend Yosai Yamada
Former Chief Priest Myohoji Temple Los Angeles

Ichinen Sanzen
The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds Part I

"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the
defenses of peace must be constructed." Regarding "world peace," it may be
safely said that the most important question for us today is "How does one
gain a peaceful way to live?" A European philosopher once said that human
beings have the potential for a holy existence, similar to an angel. On the
other hand, people can become uglier and more frightening than wild animals.

There is no existence more interesting, mysterious, incomprehensible and
complex than human life. Buddhism completely explains life through the
principles of the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds. Our physical
appearance and our actions in this world are explained by the concept of
shiki shin funi -- the unity of our minds and bodies.

The present and any future state of the world we live in is explained by the
concept of esho funi -- the unity of man and his environment. Or, to put it
another way, our world is consistent with our ideals, and as we act upon
those ideals, we make the world as it is.

The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds explains the reality of the complex
and changeable aspects of existence that are the result of the Law of Cause
and Effect. By discussing the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds, I would
like to examine how to live and how to attain world peace.

Since ancient times, philosophers have defined humans as "Homo sapiens, 'a
thinking, upright crea- ture.'" However, Buddhism defines human beings as
entities which possess ten sorts of worlds. In other words, the Ten Worlds
are the ten realms of thought and emotion that are influenced by
environmental changes. These changes are reflected in many aspects of our
physical appearance and surroundings.

In the Gosho, "The True Object of Worship," Nichiren Daishonin gives an
outline of the Ten Worlds. He states:

"When we look from time to time at a person's face, we find him sometimes
joyful, sometimes enraged, and sometimes calm. At times greed appears in the
person's face, at times foolishness, and at times perversity. Rage is the
world of Hell, greed is that of Hunger, foolishness is that of Animality,
perversity is that of Anger, joy is that of Rapture and calmness is that of
Humanity. These worlds, the six paths, are all present in the physical
appearance of the person's face. The remaining four noble worlds are hidden
and dormant and do not appear in the face, but if we search carefully, we
can tell that they are there." (MWN vol 1, p. 52)

He also states:

"The fact that all things in this world are transient, is perfectly dear to
us. Is this not because the worlds of the two vehicles are present in the
world of Humanity? Even a heartless villain loves his wife and children. He
too has a portion of the Bodhisattva World within him. Buddhahood is the
most difficult to demonstrate. But since you possess the other nine worlds,
you should believe that you have Buddhahood as well. Do not permit yourself
to have doubts." (MWN vol. 1, pp. 52-53)

As these passages indicate, the Ten Worlds are nothing but various aspects
of our human lives. Now let's look further at human existence in the Ten
Worlds.

The first is HELL.

Hell indicates a condition in which one is dominated by the impulse to
destroy oneself and everything else. Rage is the dominating force. In this
state, we are utterly devoid of freedom and undergo extreme and
indescribable suffering.

HUNGER is the second.

Hunger is a state characterized by an insatiable desire for food, clothes,
wealth, pleasure, fame, power, and so forth. In this state, a person is
tormented by relentless craving and by his inability to satisfy it.
ANIMALITY is the third.

The state of Animality is governed by instinct, and one has no sense of
reason or morality.

The Shushi Shin Gosho, ("On the Sovereign, Teacher and Parent") describes
the state of Animality as follows: "The short are swallowed by the long, and
the small are eaten by the large, feeding upon each other without pause." A
man in the state of Animality stands in fear of the strong but despises and
preys upon those weaker than himself.

Since these three conditions, from Hell through Animality, are states in
which we scarcely function as human beings (although we have indeed been
born human), they are collectively called the Three Evil Paths.

The fourth world is ANGER.

In the state of Anger, a man is dominated by a selfish ego. A person in this
state is compelled by the need to be superior to others in all things,
despising others and valuing himself alone.

Nichiren Daishonin's "Jippokai Myoiga Sho" ("Causality Within the Ten States
of Life"), describes it as follows:

"The first volume of the Maka Shikan reads, "He who is in the world of
Anger, motivated by the warped desire to be better than everyone else, is
forever belittling others and exalting himself. He is like a hawk sweeping
the sky in search of prey. He may outwardly display benevolence,
righteousness, propriety, wisdom and good faith, and even possess a
rudimentary moral sense, but his heart remains in anger."

But in comparison with the Three Evil Paths, there is a little humanity
within the realm of Anger. These four states are collectively called the
Four Evil Paths.

The fifth world is HUMANITY or

TRANQUILITY.

In this state, one can pass fair judgment, control his instinctive desires
with reason, and act in harmony with his environment or society.

The sixth world is HEAVEN or RAPTURE.

This state indicates the sense of pleasure which one feels when his desire
is fulfilled. However, the joy in the state of Heaven is temporary and
disappears with the passage of time or with even a slight change in
circumstances.

These states, from Hell through Heaven, are called the Six Paths. The
majority of people spend most of their time moving back and forth among
them. In these states, one is governed by his reactions to external
influences and is therefore extremely vulnerable to changing circumstances.

LEARNING is the seventh world.

Learning is a condition in which one awakens to the impermanence of all
things and understands the instability of the Six Paths, and therefore seeks
some lasting truth. He aims at self-reformation through the teachings of
others. Men of Learning originally meant those who listen to the Buddha
preach the Four Noble Truths. They practiced the Eightfold Path in order to
acquire emancipation from earthly desires. This definition is expounded in
Hinayana Buddhism. This life condition is relatively free from avarice,
anger, stupidity, arrogance and doubt, as well as from bias or depravity.

Generally speaking, one enters this life condition when he has, in his own
way, reached a certain enlight- enment, after pursuing the truth of life
through the writings of others. However, a selfish or arrogant mind,
although hidden, is still present to some extent in this life condition.

The state of REALIZATION is the eighth world.

It is a condition in which one perceives the impermanence of all phenomena
and strives to free himself from the sufferings of the Six Paths by seeking
some lasting truth through his own observations and effort. Men of
Realization originally meant those who attained a kind of emancipation by
perceiving the twelve-linked chain of causation, or by observing the natural
order. In other words, he understands cause and effect as the nature of life
in the universe. Because this is a life condition a man reaches upon
discovering the truth in the universe after much thinking and effort, the
sense of fulfillment felt in this state may be deeper than that gained in
the World of Learning.

This is the definition of both Learning and Realization expounded in
Hinayana Buddhism:

Realization as well as Learning often turn into arrogance, because people in
these life conditions become stubbornly attached to their own realization
with its limited perspective. Learning and Realization are called the two
vehicles. The defect of the two vehicles lies in the fact that persons in
these states seek only their own salvation.

BODHISATTVA is the ninth world.

In this state, one not only aspires to enlightenment himself but also
devotes himself to compassionate actions.

The characteristic of the Bodhisattva lies in his dedication to altruism.
The Gosho, "Causality in the Ten States of Life," states about this life
condition:

"Those in the state of Bodhisattva dwell among the common mortals of the Six
Paths and humble them- selves while respecting others. They draw evil to
themselves and give benefit to others. This life condition is characterized
by the great desire to extend help to those who are suffering."

The tenth and final world is that of BUDDHAHOOD.

This is the highest life condition in all of the Ten Worlds. It is a state
of perfect and absolute freedom, in which one enjoys boundless wisdom and
compassion, and is filled with the courage and power to sur- mount all
hardships. However, in the Gosho, Nichiren Daishonin states: "Buddhahood is
the most dif- ficult to demonstrate." Exhibiting Buddhahood from within is
difficult. Explaining this life condition is also difficult. The
Twenty-Sixth High Priest, Nichikan Shonin, says: "Strong faith in the Lotus
Sutra is called Buddhahood."

Therefore, the determination, will, and faith to believe in the Gohonzon is
the manifestation of Buddhahood. It is itself Buddhahood.

This is the great life condition which underlies the rich, altruistic
activities of the Bodhisattva, in which one takes the sufferings of others
as his own and defies all obstacles to help others change their destiny. It
is this True Buddhism that demonstrates how to help people call up their own
Buddhahood from within themselves.

I firmly believe that the way to salvation lies only in the richness of the
Bodhisattva practice, beneath which lies the life condition of the Buddha.
It is universally able to help people out of difficulty and find a way out
of deadlocks to rescue this planet and its inhabitants from the scourge of
war.

In the next lecture, we will talk about the Mutual Possession of the Ten
Worlds and how even the worst individuals possess it. Thank you very much.

-- Ichinen Sanzen
The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds
PART II

Today I want to talk about the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds. But
before I begin, I want you accept, on faith, the definition of the
entirety of human life and all its activities as Ichinen Sanzen. I am
asking this, because I do not expect you to "know" it yet as the Buddha
does. Why don't I expect you to fully comprehend this? It is because
Ichinen Sanzen is the profound law inscrutable in its workings, not
only in every aspect of our lives but in the total aspect of all life
in the universe. Yet, the Buddha "knows" this Law as the essence of his
life. He also has the infinite wisdom derived from it. And from this
wisdom comes his capacity to teach and save all living beings.

We need to retain a sense of humility, so I want to quote Shakyamuni's
words of caution to his most clever disciple, Sharihotsu. We recited
them this evening and do so every time we do Gongyo. The Hoben Chapter
says:

"Sharihotsu, the wisdom of the Tathagata is all-encompassing and
profound. His mercy is infinite and his teaching knows no bounds.
Endowed with power, fearlessness, concentration, freedom [from karma
and desires] and the capacity to meditate, he dwells in the boundless
and awakes to the never-before-realized Law. Sharaihotsu, the Tathagata
has the power to perceive which among the various teachings is suited
to his audience, to preach the teachings in a skillful way, and to
gladden the hearts of people with warm and tender words. That is to
say, Sharaihotsu, the Buddha has realized the infinite, boundless and
unparalleled Law."

Now, we may be some of those attributes, but certainly not all of them.
Is anyone here free from karma and desires, yet? But I would be wrong
if I did not give you warm encouragement from the writings of the
Daishonin, who knew the various teachings but taught the only one
appropriate for the Latter Day of the Law.

The "Gift of Rice" Gosho reads:

"Yet even common mortals can attain Buddhahood if they cherish one
thing: earnest faith. In the deepest sense, earnest faith is the will
to understand and live up to the spirit, not the words, of the sutra."
(MWN vol 2, p. 268)

Now I want to talk to you about the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds
and why practice to Gohonzon is the way to the human reformation that
will in turn make world peace possible. The Daish- onin's Gosho, "The
Opening of the Eyes," states:

"The concept of ichinen sanzen begins with an understanding of the
mutual possession of the Ten Worlds or states of existence." (MWN vol.
2, p. 80)

This principle was formulated by T'ien-t'ai. It is based on the Lotus
Sutra and states that each of the Ten Worlds contains the potential for
all ten. This is the second component principle of Ichinen Sanzen. The
first component is the concept of the Ten Worlds which we talked about
last time. The second component, the Mutual Possession of the Ten
Worlds, means that our thoughts and emotions are not fixed in any one
world but can exhibit any of the ten from Hell to Buddhahood at any
given moment.

This concept also explains that each of us tends toward one or more of
the ten states, although the poten- tial for any of them is always
present. For example, a person who has the basic life tendency of
Hunger may exhibit Rapture or Bodhisattva at any moment because his
life possesses those two of the Ten Worlds. Only one of them appears in
a given moment; the other nine worlds are dormant. But that person
always returns to the basic life condition of Hunger, and his life
activities consequently center around this state.

Another example is that, at any one moment, a person may experience the
joy of Heaven, but at the next moment, some factor in his circumstances
may suddenly change, and he is thrown into the depths of Hell. This
does not mean, however, that the world of Heaven has ceased to exist.
Rather, it means that it has shifted from a state that we can witness
to a latent and potential condition. With the appropriate influences
from the environment, it will emerge again, and we will find this
person happy and smiling -- temporarily. In this way, the ten states
from Hell to Buddhahood are activated by one's relationship with the
outside world, and we are able to see them in ourselves and others as
they surface in response to changes in our environment. Furthermore,
they are manifested in both the physical and spiritual aspects of all
human activities.

Please remember shiki shin funi. A person whose spirit and mind are in
Hell will show it in his appear- ance. Another concept to remember is
esho funi. One whose mind and body are in Hell will create Hell in his
environment. It cannot be otherwise, if that is his basic tendency,
because body and mind are not sep- arate. They are combined in one
entity; and this entity cannot be separated from its environment. The
environment is an extension of the human being.

I had mentioned that Nichiren Daishonin knew the beliefs of the other
sects of his day and the sutras on which they were based. All of you
are also learning that Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, expounded
provisional teachings for some forty or forty-two years before he
preached the supreme Buddhist teaching, the Lotus Sutra. Eventually,
you will also learn that, when it was preached, many of his disciples
walked out of the assembly and continued to practice the pre-Lotus
Sutra teachings. The Daishonin says that all of the sutras, except the
Lotus Sutra, are the wrong teachings to practice. Why? In "The Opening
of the Eyes," the Daishonin states:

"All provisional sutras such as the Kegon, Hannya and Dainichi not only
conceal the fact that people in the two realms of shomon [Learning] and
engaku [Realization] can attain Buddhahood, but they also fail to make
clear that the Buddha attained enlightenment countless aeons in the
past. These sutras are guilty of two errors. First, because they teach
that the ten worlds of existence are separate from one another, they
fail to move beyond the provisional doctrines and reveal the doctrine
of ichinen sanzen as it is expounded in the theoretical chapters of the
Lotus Sutra." (MWN vol 2, p. 103)

Vasubandhu's Kusho Ron says that Hell exists one thousand yojani under
the ground. The Shonen Sutra states that the world of Hunger exists
five hundred yojani under the ground. Those in Animality live in water,
on land, and in the air. Those in the world of Humanity dwell on earth,
those in Rapture on a mountain, and so on. But from everyday life, we
can observe that Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Rapture, and Humanity
are walking the streets at this very moment.

In the Mushimochi Gosho ("New Year's Gosho"), the Daishonin writes:

"First of all, as to the question of where exactly hell and the Buddha
exist, one sutra states that hell exists underground and another sutra
says that the Buddha is in the west. However, careful thought will
reveal that both exist in our fivefoot body. The reason I think so is
that hell is in the heart of a man who inwardly despises his father and
disregards his mother... You may question how is it that the Buddha can
reside within us when our bodies, originating from our parents' sperm
and blood...But repeated consideration shows the validity of my claim.
The pure lotus flower blooms out of the muddy pond, the fragrant
sandalwood tree grows from the soil, the graceful cherry blossoms come
forth from trees, the beautiful Yang Kuei-fei was born of a
maidservant, and the moon rises from behind the mountains to shed light
on them." (MWN vol 1, pp. 271-272)

The Lotus Sutra teaches that people in Learning and Realization, women,
evil men, virtually everyone, can attain enlightenment. By contrast,
all the other sutras fall short. They do not provide the absolute
freedom and equality for all humanity to attain Buddhahood. But the
Dai-Gohonzon has been estab- lished and impartially sheds its
compassion on all who accept it, thus ensuring our enlightenment.

You probably know Christianity, Islam and Judaism much better than I
do. Because you do, you can probably see more similarities to the
preLotus Sutra teachings than I. Therefore, you are able to under-
stand why Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism considers all teachings, except the
true teachings of the Lotus Sutra, provisional. But I want to caution
you. Any religion attempts to establish a basic morality through which
order can be brought to society. There are many "don'ts" in the
teachings of Hinayana Buddhism and in other religions that exist to
tell people what they shouldn't do, so that they don't make bad causes.
These are not necessarily "bad" teachings.

"The Nirvana Sutra remarks: 'All scriptures or teachings, from whatever
source, are ultimately the reve- lation of Buddhist truth. They are not
non-Buddhist teachings.'" (MWN vol 2, p.77)

In the same Gosho, he quotes T'ien-t'ai:

"In the Konkomyo Sutra it is recorded that 'All the good teachings that
exist in the world derive from this sutra. To have a profound knowledge
of this world is itself Buddhism.'" (MWN vol. 2, p.75)

But although these teachings can be considered "revelations of Buddhist
truth," they do not reveal the Supreme Truth of Buddhism. Furthermore,
they have failed to bring peace. They do not elucidate the innate
Buddhahood possessed by all beings and phenomena (Ichinen
Sanzen--"three thousand worlds in a momentary state of existence"), nor
do they teach how to maintain a basic life condition that extends to
all people.

Please remember that I said, "...the Ten Worlds respond to events and
things in our environment." When you accept Gohonzon, you are accepting
the entity of the Law as Ichinen Sanzen and the Buddha into your
environment. The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds is inscribed in
the Gohonzon. It therefore exists in environments that are hellish or
full of anger, animality, hunger, tranquility and fleeting rapture, as
well as in the arrogant worlds of Learning and Realization. This is
because it acknowledges the presence of Buddhahood in all of these
worlds. Accepting the Gohonzon into any of these environments is
accepting the object that stimulates and develops Buddhahood as a barr
lifo tendency.

There is not time to talk about how one goes about his human
reformation. But I want you to remember the story about the woman who
didn't know that she possessed a cellar filled with gold. First, she
had to be told about it. Second, she had to vigorously and continuously
dig away the dirt that hid it. Then she was able to find the gold and
use it to improve her daily circumstances. In the same way, we must
begin to reform our own lives. We have to be told that we have; Buddha
nature. And, if we want to actualize world peace, we have to tell
others that they possess this potential, too. Then we have to teach
others vigorously and continue ously how to do the same with faith
practice and study. We have to bravely practice this way until
Buddhahood is established as a basic tendency of our lives.

Now perhaps you might be thinking, "Maybe I don't want to be a Buddha.
It all sounds rather strange."

However the most important implication of Ichinen Sanzen to remember
and understand is that all common mortals of the nine worlds have the
potential for Buddhahood, and a Buddha retains the lower nine worlds
and is not separate from common mortals. So you will live in these
worlds, but with a difference. You will be angry sometimes, perhaps
hungry, too. You will experience Rapture and Hell, but the quality will
be different. You will manifest the lower worlds, but will no longer be
controlled by them. The things that you get angry and are hungry for
will be of a high order. You will look better and feel better and know
to chant to the Gohonzon first, to acquire the wisdom needed to face
your lower worlds and all obstacles to happiness.

chinen Sanzen
The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds

PART III

Today, I hope to complete this discussion of the Buddha's realization
about life. Let me caution you. As the Buddha preached his
enlightenment to Shariputra, he stated,

"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 Nyo 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 mul-tiplied 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 look- ing 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 Ichinen 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
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.

[illarraza]

Thoughts on Ichinen Sanzen of an unknown author:

Nichiren made certain distinctions that many choose to ignore. They throw the term "ichinen sanzen" about as if somehow they "know" what it means, and that others don't. Some also seem to think that ichinen sanzen simply means that "everything=everything else," which leads them to stop making distinctions, including important distinctions that Nichiren himself made. While "everything=everything else" is true at a very profound metaphysical and spiritual level, it is also true that we are humans living in the saha-world and thus the true reality of ichinen sanzen is "beyond our understanding," though we may see it at work in our own lives and in everything around us. Nichiren has taught us this. Nichiren has taught us that ichinen sanzen is the essence of the Lotus Sutra; it allows the Buddha to become eternal, the Buddha to contain all other worlds, and for humans to contain Buddhahood, and more.

from the Kanjin Honzon Sho:

"The truth which the Buddha finally realized was nothing but the truth of
the three-thousand-realms-in-one-mind. ... The [Lotus Sutra] is the most
profound of all the sturas, because the Buddha expounds this truth therein."

Nichiren talks at great length in many Gosho about those who "embrace" or "keep" the Lotus Sutra, those who totally believe in it even though it is difficult to believe. He extolls the benefits of the "keeper" of the Lotus Sutra. he also warns that if one does not truly believe in the Lotus Sutra, one will fall into the "hell of incessant suffering." If you don't truly embrace, keep and believe "every golden character" of the Lotus Sutra, then you cannot understand ichinen sanzen. but, you may indeed, as Nichiren teaches, reap the benefits of understanding it simply by chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo "with faith in the Lotus Sutra," even though you may not fully know what ichinen sanzen means. Therefore, *believing in the Lotus Sutra* is a pre-requisite to understanding ichinen sanzen and knowing the seed of Buddhahood within yourself. Nichiren does not say to believe part of the Sutra, or some of the Sutra, or selections from the Sutra. he says you must "embrace" the Lotus Sutra, believe in it, uphold it, be a keeper of it. If you read the entire Lotus Sutra, and you disbelieve even one word or phrase or concept taught within it, then how can you claim to be a "keeper" of the Lotus Sutra? You relinquish your hold on the Buddha-seed within yourself when you refuse to believe every word of the Lotus Sutra. Why do I say this? because Nichiren says this!

There may be those of you who say you understand ichinen sanzen, and that others don't. You may use this "fact" to criticize others. this is like "counting your neighbor's money," because only YOU know about YOU. you cannot possibly know to what extent another person understands any of the concepts Nichiren taught, including ichinen sanzen. How could you know that someone is not fully realizing ichinen sanzen right at this moment? Perhaps you think they do not understand it because they are displaying anger. Is not the world of "Anger" a part of ichinen sanzen? You may think they do not understand it because you think their life-condition is one of "Hell." Is not "Hell" a part of ichinen sanzen?

Ichinen sanzen is such a profound concept that most of us can only hope to grasp a "glimpse" of it. to state that "I already know the truth of ichinen sanzen and you don't!" would indicate that you do not understand it at all...even Nichiren humbly claimed to not understand the full extent of it, though he believed in it with his whole heart. In the Kanjin Honzon Sho, he answers the one who asks about ichinen sanzen with thoughts such as:

"Alas! Even a Buddha or a Bodhisattva will hardly be able to teach a fool
like you; much less I, who am but a sinful man living in the Period of
Deprivation. But I will try a little. ... Therefore, if you have the seed
of enlightenment in yourself, you may be able to understand what I mean.
... To understand that the Buddha-land is contained in the world of men is,
however, as difficult to as to see that fire is contained in water or that
water is contained in fire. ... From these facts you should believe that
the Buddha-land exists in the world of men, though you may not know why."

How could this questioner not have had the "seed of enlightenment" in himself? Because, as Nichiren explains in this Gosho and many others, you must first "believe in and uphold" or "keep" the Lotus Sutra. This questioner had doubted the Lotus Sutra, so Nichiren apparently couldn't state that he had the seed of enlightenment within him. He tells the questioner many times that he should just believe in the Lotus Sutra and ichinen sanzen, "though you may not know why."

If one believes in most of the Lotus Sutra, but does not believe the Original Buddha revealed in the 16th chapter is Eternal, then one cannot claim to be truly "embracing" or "keeping" the Lotus Sutra ["simply" because one has doubted even one word of this Sutra] which Nichiren says will lead to the "hell of incessant suffering." One can see from reading Nichiren's instructions that faith is essential in this Buddhism. without faith, you cannot truly see the "seed of enlightenment" within yourself, nor can you truly grasp the meaning of ichinen sanzen. To throw the term around lightly and use it to criticize others' beliefs shows you have not truly grasped the true meaning of ichinen sanzen. That's why i have put my total and absolute faith in the Lotus Sutra and Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, and Nichiren says that because of my faith, i can "reap the benefits" of that faith in this lifetime."

Illarraza

[Queequeg]

Illaraza has taken the discussion ahead, but I don't think we're ready to deal with the issues in his copypasta.

I have not often heard the Threefold Inclusive Truth discussed in Nichiren circles. This is too bad, though.

The threefold inclusive truth is one of Zhiyi's most important teachings. Not only does it explain the proper way to understand the the relationship between the conditioned and ultimate aspects of reality, the logic embodied in this relationship is the basic model for the mutual possession of the ten worlds, the thousand factors, and ichinen sanzen.

Reference to it is there in our daily practice - when we recite the beginning of the Hoben chapter, as I think most all Nichiren Buddhists do as their practice, we come to the ten factors, which we recite three times -

Sho i sho ho, 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 honmatsukukkyoto.

The reason we recite this three times is in reference to each of the three truths -

In Fahua Hsuan-i (Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra) Zhiyi gives a general explanation of the Ten Factors and then said this:

"If one were to emphasize the suchness [of these ten characteristics], then "sameness" refers to the fact that they, from beginning to end, are all empty [of substantial Being]. If one were to emphasize their appearance and nature and so forth, "sameness" means that from beginning to end they do exist interdependently. If one emphasizes the meaning of the middle [their simultaneous emptiness and conventional existence], then "sameness" means that from beginning to end they are all the true aspects of reality."

Tientai Philosophy, Swanson p. 184.

When I get to a scanner, I will post diagrams showing the various ways that Buddhists conceive of the conventional, the ultimate and the Middle (as identified in Lotus Sutra Buddhism). Hopefully, this will give some foundation from which to talk about this doctrine and show its significance for Lotus Sutra Buddhism.

[Myoho-Nameless]

Just hoping this thread does not die before fulfilling it's purpose.

I'd help out by adding something pertinent but I find I can't.

[sherabzangpo]

Just wanted to say that I enjoy the discussion and look forward to learning as much as I can about Ichinen Sanzen, so the posts are welcome.