At the end
of the Lotus Sutra is a Bonus chapter which ties everything together and tells
you how to awaken your Buddha nature called “Sutra on How to Practice
Meditation on Bodhisattva Universal Worthy”.
Here are some extracts from it in BOLD.
It begins
with three monks, Ananda, Mahakashyapa and Maitreya asking the Buddha how they
can achieve this enlightenment …
“World-Honored One, after the thus
come one has entered extinction, how can living beings nurture the bodhisattva
mind, practise the great vehicle broad and impartial sutra, and employ correct
thoughts in pondering the realm of the single truth? How can they be certain of attaining the mind
of unsurpassed enlightenment?
… in their
everyday lives as ordinary people with desires and obstacles to overcome.
How, without cutting off earthly
desires or separating themselves from the five desires, can they purify their
senses and wipe away their offenses? How,
with the pure everyday eyes they received from their fathers and mothers at
birth, and without cutting off the five desires, will they be able to see what
lies beyond obstacles?”
Shakyamuni
tells them to listen carefully and explains that at Eagle Peak and other places
he has given lots of explanations
The Buddha said to Ananda: “Listen
with attention, listen with attention and consider the matter carefully. In the past I, the thus come one on Mount
Gridhrakuta and in other places, have already widely explained in detail the
way of the single truth.
But now he
will explain the method for the benefit of everyone in the future
Now in this place, for the sake of
living beings of ages to come who wish to practise the unsurpassed Law of the
great vehicle, and who wish to study the practice of Universal Worthy and to carry
out Universal Worthy’s practice, I will now explain the method that you should
hold in mind.
It doesn’t
matter if you have awoken to your own Buddha nature before or not, but if you
do what I suggest you can reduce the effects of negative karma and will see
your Buddha nature (and the Buddha nature of others)
Whether you have already seen
Universal Worthy or have not seen him, I will now explain for you the steps to
be observed in order to reduce the number of your offenses. … The benefits of
this meditation remove obstacles and impediments so they can see the finest,
the most wonderful forms.
You should
repent for your past actions, study the Lotus Sutra, and respect others who
respect the Lotus Sutra. You should see
everyone as a buddha and recognize that we are all one family.
“…he should pay obeisance to the buddhas
of the ten directions, practice the method of repentance, read the great
vehicle sutra, recite the great vehicle sutra, ponder the meaning of the great
vehicle, keep in mind the concerns of the great vehicle, and reverently offer
alms to those who uphold the great vehicle.
He should view all people with the thought that they are buddhas, and
all living beings with the thought that they are his father and mother.”
How can we
repent? We just need to chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo"
and we will awaken our Buddhahood and overcome all of our negative karma.
The Buddha said to Ananda, “After the
Buddha has passed into extinction, if the disciples of the Buddha wish to
repent their evil and undesirable acts, they should simply recite and read the
great vehicle sutra. … If a person recites
and reads the great vehicle broad and impartial sutra, one should know that
such a person is endowed with a buddha’s benefits. All his evils wiped out forever, he is born
from the Buddha wisdom.”
Shakyamuni
is now going to explain how to change our karma / fundamental darkness in
different ways.
At that time the world-honored one
spoke in verse form, saying:
We need to
purify our eyes, to see the truth of the way the world works, to see our true
nature and to appreciate the beauty around us.
We do this by chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo".
If there are
evils in the eye organ,
If karma
impedes the eye and the eye is impure
Simply recite
the great vehicle,
Keep in
thoughts the highest principle.
This is
called repentance of the eye,
Which wipes
out all undesirable acts.
We need to
purify our ears, to clearly hear and perceive the lies or deceit of others, and to recognise the
inner voice inside of us that tries to deceive us. We do this by chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo"
and reflecting on the true nature of phenomena.
If the ear
organ hears confused sounds
This will
injure and confuse the principle of harmony.
From this
arises madness of the mind
And one will
behave like a foolish monkey.
One should
constantly recite the great vehicle,
Meditate on
how phenomena are empty and without aspect,
Wipe out all
evils forever,
And with
heavenly ears listen to the ten directions.
A little bit
strange this one, but we need to purify our nose so that it doesn’t deceive us
or lead us astray in pursuit of things that seem sweet, but distract us from
our mission. We do this by chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo".
If the nose organ is attached to fragrant
scents,
Their stain
will give rise to sensations.
When the
nose is maddened and deranged in this manner,
The stain of
it will produce various kinds of dust.
But if one
recites the great vehicle sutra
And meditates
on the truth of phenomena,
One will be
released from all evil karma forever
And in
future existences will produce it no more.
This
is another of the big ones. We need to
purify our tongue so that it doesn’t lead us astray with gossip, rumours,
slander, etc. Funnily enough, this one doesn’t
require us to chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo"!! We just need to speak positively with
compassion, tranquillity and without discrimination.
The tongue
organ gives rise to the undesirable acts
Of the five
types of evil speaking.
If one
wishes to control and tame it,
One must diligently
practise pity and compassion.
Ponder the
principle of the true tranquillity of phenomena,
Do away with
discriminatory conceptions.
We
need to calm our minds, especially when they are troubled with doubts,
concerns, or mischievous thoughts. We do
this by chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" and focussing on the Buddha’s
body.
The mind
organ is like a monkey,
Never still
for an instant.
If one
wishes to master and subdue it,
One must
diligently recite the great vehicle.
Keep in mind
the Buddha’s great enlightenment body,
All the
power and fearlessness he has won.
Our lives and mind are changeable and easily
influenced
The body,
this master of motions,
Is blown
about like dust in the wind.
The six
thieves sport and play with it,
Free from
all hindrance or restraint.
To
erase this fundamental darkness and create a state of Buddhahood, chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo".
If one
wishes to wipe out these evils
And be free
forever from the burden of their dust,
To dwell
constantly in the citadel of nirvana
Peaceful in
mind, calm and placid,
Then recite
the great vehicle sutra,
Keep in mind
the mother of bodhisattvas.
When
we chant and reflect on the Mystic Law we can see where our negative karma has
come from.
Immeasurable
numbers of excellent expedient means
Arise from
pondering the true aspect.
Phenomena
such as these six
Are called
the six sense organs.
All the
entire sea of karmic impediments
Is born from
deluded thoughts.
To expediate negative karma, sit and chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo"
If one
wishes to carry out repentance,
Sit upright
and ponder the true aspect.
Then the
host of sins, like frost or dew, can be wiped out by the sun of wisdom.
Therefore
with the utmost power of one’s mind
One must
carry out this repentance of the six sense organs.
Now you know
what to do, do it and teach others to do it.
When the Buddha had finished speaking
these verses, he said to Ananda: “Now you must take this repentance of the six
sense organs and the method for meditation on Bodhisattva Universal Worthy and,
observing the proper distinctions, preach them far and wide to all the heavenly
and human beings of the ten directions everywhere.
All extracts
are taken from pages 369 – 396 of Burton Watson’s “The Lotus Sutra and Its
Opening and Closing Sutras”
