Nichiren Shu Jacksonville Florida

10/15/2024

Commemoration of Nichiren Shōnin's Paranirvana at Minobu San Kuonji.

10/13/2024

Regarding the interpretation of "Mahaprajapati," the vast and encompassing Middle Way is called "Great." Unconditional loving-kindness is called "Love." The emptiness and interconnectedness of the Middle Way principles is called "Path." "Great" refers to self-practice; "Love" refers to benefiting others, as through love one takes birth and through compassion one engages with the world; and "Path" refers to the integration of both self-practice and benefiting others.

"The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra" T'ien-t'ai Zhiyi

10/11/2024

Those who truly understand [the Lotus Sutra] know that all the actions of the teachers and disciples are manifestations of the Buddha's dharma body. If one does not practice contemplation as a skillful means, it will not benefit the practitioner. It is like a poor person counting treasures or a blind person holding a candle. Though there are countless mental functions, let us focus on the ten wholesome ones, exemplified by ten disciples, just as there are many disciples, but we only mention ten. These ten wholesome mental functions are: faith, progress, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom, joy, analysis, equanimity, awakening, and precepts. These ten functions support the mind-king, enabling one to transform evil into good, change the ordinary into the saintly, and accomplish all Buddhist practices. These practices are based on these ten mental qualities, just like ten disciples assisting the Buddha in propagating the Dharma, maturing sentient beings, and establishing the Buddha's teachings.

"The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra" T'ien-t'ai Zhiyi'

06/17/2024

Today we will start a study of the Lotus Sutra with Myokei Shonin. The study sessions will be every other Monday at 8:00 PM EST.

06/17/2024

Today at Minobusan Kuonji Temple they are commemorating the arrival of Nichiren Daishōnin to Minobu San.

04/22/2024

The Buddhas, the Leaders, expound the teaching of Nirvāṇa
In order to give a rest [to all living beings].
When they see them having already had a rest,
They lead them to the wisdom of the Buddha.

The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. These are part of his explanation of the parable of the Magic City. In this story, a group of people hire a guide to lead them through a dangerous wilderness to reach a city of treasures. Halfway through the journey, the people lose confidence and ask the guide to take them back to where they started. The guide conjures up a magic city and gives the people a chance to rest. The people believed this illusion was their destination. The guide then made the city disappear and implored his charges to continue their journey. The Buddha compares his teachings of the end of suffering to the fabricated city, and the true city of treasures to his enlightenment. As the travelers had to leave their delusions about suffering and continue on the way of the Bodhisattva towards enlightenment, so must we set aside the Buddha’s expedient teachings and uphold the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sūtra.

04/22/2024

04/21/2024

Mañjuśrī! A Bodhisattva-mahāsattva who performs this fourth set of [peaceful] practices after my extinction, will be able to expound the Dharma flawlessly. Bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, kings, princes, ministers, common people, brāhmaṇas and householders will make offerings to him, honor him, respect him, and praise him. The gods in the sky will always serve him in order to hear the Dharma from him. When someone comes to his abode located in a village, in a city, in a retired place or in a forest, and wishes to ask him a question, the gods will protect him day and night for the sake of the Dharma so that the hearer may rejoice because this sūtra was, is, and will be protected by the supernatural powers of the past, present and future Buddhas.

The Buddha gives this explanation to Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva in Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sūtra. The fourth set of peaceful practices is not blaming those who do not hear the Lotus Sūtra and resolving to save them when one becomes perfectly enlightened. Rather than becoming upset with those who do not accept this teaching, it is useful to know that we are not alone in wanting to save them, and that by reducing our own delusions we increase our capacity to benefit others.