Nichiren Shu
“We should treasure all life from the greatest sage on high to the lowliest mosquito or gnat. Therefore, depriving any being of life is the greatest of crimes. When the Tathagata appeared in the world he made compassion for all life the basis [of his teaching]. In order to show his compassion for all life he made non-killing and providing sustenance the first precept.”
The following article is the text from a brochure that is made available to folks visiting the temple. Introduction Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sutra, titled “Parable of a Magic City,” lists ten things the Buddha has perfect knowledge of. These ten things are called the Ten Powers of the Buddha (Juriki, Jpn.). The Ten Powers are the following: 1. Distinguishing right and wrong; 2. Knowing the karmas of all sentient beings of the past,…
Part IIb – Periods in the Spread of Buddhism – Locations (India & China) This next section of this writing by Nichiren goes through the three periods of True, Semblance, and Later Age of Degeneration and the type of Buddhism practiced in India, China, and Japan during the matching phases of propagation. Before Nichiren goes into those details he makes a very important point at the beginning. This point is, I think, most important for…
Part IIa – Periods in the Spread of Buddhism When looking at the dynamics of any group or organization, and certainly religion can be looked at in this way, it is helpful to understand that there is no stasis. The Buddha recognized this, even if unspoken, when he elucidated the progression of Buddhism through three periods of what has been called, True, Semblance, and Counterfeit Dharmas. When we look at the progression of organizations we…
Favicon Plugin made by Cheap Web Hosting