Today I would like to talk about our daily service, our recitation of the sutra and what it is all about. Perhaps some of you already know this, yet others do not.
At its core, our daily practice is about participating in the events that take place in the Lotus Sutra. We are in one sense recreating the actual Sutra in our daily practice, even if it is only an abbreviated form. The heart of our daily service is the recitation of some chapters from the Sutra itself. So it is easy to see that connection to the Sutra, but what about some of the other things we do.
First off, as some of you have heard me say before, our daily service really begins before we even sit down to begin our prayers. Daily we should take the time to clean our altar space making sure that the area is free of dust and dirt. Our mind should be present on this chore, and consider it an actual part of our daily practice and not some chore that we do merely to tidy up the area. In the Lotus Sutra, before the Buddha opens the Stupa of Many Treasures that contains the body of Many Treasures Buddha who has traveled across the multi-verse to appear as Sakyamuni Buddha preaches the Lotus Sutra; the Buddha purifies the lands of the many universes. And so too before we sit down to view the Eternal Buddha we purify our land, we carry out the noble task of cleaning, to ensure that everything is just right for welcoming Many Treasures Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha and all the others who are present as represented on the Omandala.
Second we clear our minds of impure thoughts, of thinking about things to do after we finish or things that we should have done or any of those types of stray and random thoughts. Just as the Buddha united the many lands that were present before revealing Many Treasures Buddha, we too need to unify our mind. With a single minded focus we collect all of our thoughts and join them all together to be in this very moment, the moment of our participation in the ceremony as outlined in the Lotus Sutra.
Other things that we do that correspond to elements in the Lotus Sutra are to offer water or tea, candles, incense and flowers if we have them, and possibly a food offering. It isn’t necessary to always have flowers, there are times when it may not be possible to have such an offering, times when we are unable to pick fresh flowers. Also, we can’t always afford to buy cut flowers either so in those situations we do without. Certainly though we should strive to have flowers for special occasions, if possible. Candles and incense to some present some problems such as those who have respiratory issues, so of course we use common sense. In all of these instances we are again recreating the offerings that the heavenly deities bestowed on the Buddha as he was teaching the Lotus Sutra.
All of this is just the preparatory stages, allowing us to set our minds and bodies in a condition to receive the wonderful nourishment of the Dharma. As we can see though, these preparations are significant, an important part of the actual service. If we merely sit down and begin doing the service without taking the time to tidy up the area or to clear our mind from distractions, if we fail to set the stage so to speak, then will not receive as much benefit as if we were fully in the moment. A mind distracted or divided can not really be as effective as a mind that is focused on our task.
Once we have seated ourselves, whether on the floor or on a chair we should take a moment to check our posture. We shouldn’t be slouching, especially if we are sitting in a chair. If you were attending a very important lecture or presentation you would not be slouching, you would probably be upright and attentive, fearing you may miss some important part or the presentation. And so too, we should be upright. Also if we are slouched and not sitting up it compresses our diaphragm and we are not able to breath as freely or deeply. Not sitting upright in a sense closes us up.
Following all of this we can now begin doing the actual prayers. I am not sure if you have considered all of those other things as an integral part of the service or if you thought it began when you rang the first bell. But it is true that our service does not begin when we ring the bell, instead it begins long before that. Ringing the bell three times now opens up our sense of hearing it alerts our mind to further be present in the moment. Just as when you hear a siren or your alarm clock you are tuned in to performing some action. So too with ringing the bell, we are announcing to ourselves that the great sutra is going to be presented now. We are also at the same time announcing to the world that the great Dharma of the Lotus Sutra is going to be taught and received.
The first thing we recite is the Invocation, which honors the Omandala, the Eternal Buddha, The Dharma of the Lotus Sutra, our Founder Nichiren Shonin and here in America we also recognize and honor the first overseas missionary, Nichiji Shonin who traveled to China to begin the mission of spreading the Dharma overseas and also to fulfill Nichiren’s thought that the True Dharma for the Later Age of Degeneration would follow the path of the Sun and spread from the East to the West and thereby illuminate the whole world. We also honor all the protective functions of the universe and our environment that serve us daily when we fulfill our vow as Bodhisattvas from Underground to spread the Dharma. These functions are at once strengthened by the nurturing we give them by reciting the Dharma but more importantly they respond to us when we actually fulfill our vows to teach others in this Later Age, and thereby fulfill the promise that we made to the Eternal Buddha from the remotest past in appreciation for the teaching and training we have received.
When we do a formal service here at the temple we begin the service by singing hymns that welcome the Buddhas to our place of practice. We ask them to be here to receive the wonderful, flavorful nurturing benefit of hearing the Dharma of the Lotus Sutra. We close the invocation with this same sentiment.
Next we recite the Verses for Opening the Sutra which in the first part praises the Lotus Sutra and then in the middle describes the Sutra in relation to the Three Buddha Bodies, which is easier to see now that we have begun using an older translation that specifically points out the make up and function of these Three Buddha Bodies. Finally we talk about the wonderful benefit we receive from the Lotus Sutra, even if we are unable to comprehend its full meaning, even if we reject it, even if we are clever in our interpretations of its passages, no matter what we receive the benefit of the Dharma. The true benefit of the Dharma is not dependent upon our abilities but upon our relationship to the teachings, whether or not we embrace it with our lives. Just as in the Simile of Herbs the nourishing rain of the Dharma falls up all living beings, all plants, whether they are small or middle or great and tall, and nourishes them all equally regardless of their capacities.
In many ways we have just set the stage for the actual preaching of the significant portions of the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha arose from his Samhadi and began preaching the Lotus Sutra, but before he did there were various supernatural phenomena things such as the earth quaking or the beam of light that emitted from the curl of hair on his forehead. This beam of light this ray illuminated countless worlds enabling those who were present to see countless beings practicing the way. Just as it wasn’t their power that enabled their seeing, it isn’t our power that determines our benefit but instead the great benefit of the Lotus Sutra is that which enables us to see the reality of life and to become Buddhas. It isn’t dependent upon our skill or our talents, but on our faith and our effort. “Just as perfume is caught by something nearby, so shall we be richly benefited by this sutra, even when we are not aware of being so benefited, because infinite merits are accumulated in this Sutra.”
Remember the Lotus Sutra is the great storehouse, the treasure house by which all Buddha’s attain enlightenment; it is also the sole purpose of the appearance of all Buddhas. This the Buddha says numerous times in the Lotus Sutra.
Now we come to actually reciting the Sutra passages. We recite chapters 2 and 16 because of the teachings contained with in them. Nichiren wrote that these two chapters are the most important chapters. Some people questioned why chapter 2 wasn’t more important than chapter 16 because 2 contains the teaching of the 10 suchness and the enlightenment of all living things. Nichiren pointed out that 16 is more important because it actually reveals the true nature of the Buddha Sakyamuni. Without Chapter 16 then the historical Buddha would remain just that, historical. It is lucky for us that Chapter 16 exists because it defines our relationship with the Eternal Buddha which goes further and deeper than any other of the Buddha’s disciples. We may at this point some 3000 years after the life of the Buddha feel that we are unfortunate to not have lived during the Buddha’s lifetime and been one of his followers at that time. And that would be the case if it were not for the teaching revealed in Chapter 16.
Chapter 16 shows us that we have a relationship with the Eternal Buddha that extends infinitely in the past and on into the future if we manifest that relationship. That is, if we only view it as a theoretical relationship then we have not manifested the truth as taught in the Lotus Sutra. But when we begin to feel that we might indeed be those Bodhisattvas who rose up from beneath the ground, those Bodhisattvas whom Sakyamuni revealed as having been taught by him from the remotest past, then we begin to manifest the true relationship between ourselves and the Eternal Buddha. And we do this every moment of our lives as we carry out our mission to spread the Dharma of the Lotus Sutra. We read Chapter 16 to on the one hand remind us of this but to also further strengthen that connection, whether we are wise or not, just as perfume is caught by something nearby.
After we have concluded reading Chapter 16 we begin chanting the Odaimoku the essence of the Lotus Sutra. It is as if we are consuming a very potent concentrated medicine given by the great physician in Chapter 16 who wishes to cure his children of their illnesses. As we chant Odaimoku we should try to do so with great joy.
Of course it is natural to express our worries and our concerns while chanting. We should remember though that fundamentally it is up to our own effort our own creation of good fortune by fulfilling our vows as Bodhisattvas from Beneath the Ground that enables us to fully receive the merits of the Lotus Sutra. And when we chant the Odaimoku we are doing so with praise, we are singing the praises, the benefits, the merits of the Dharma in the Lotus Sutra. With great joy we are expressing our confidence in the truth in the merit of our practice of the Lotus Sutra. We are also absorbing into the core of our lives all the teachings contained within the Lotus Sutra. If we have our minds too occupied with other things then it may be difficult to be open and to praise the Lotus Sutra.
Remember there is no great dispenser of benefit or reward or of punishment. Our lives are the manifestation of the causes we make and the most important cause we can make to ensuring our own enlightenment and the enlightenment of countless others is through our praise of the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha talks about the many merits that will accumulate to the person who merely praises the Lotus Sutra, even if they are 50 people removed from the one who receives the original benefit, they receive incalculable merit, thereby enabling them to create the causes for their own enlightenment. There is no direct promise of fortune or wealth or comfort in this life, while we may indeed receive such benefit our sole aim and objective is to become enlightened. The Buddha naturally attracts the things in life he needs.
Of course this is hard to do, it is hard to believe, but as time goes on and our practice continues and our faith progresses we can see the accumulation of great benefit and we can live with greater confidence in the future, and so we can then more freely offer praise and teach others with confidence.
After chanting Odaimoku to our hearts content until we have satisfied our hunger for the Dharma we offer prayers where we dedicate our merit to others both as appreciation and also as a wish for peace and happiness in the world.
Finally we recite the Four Great Bodhisattva Vows, to remind us of our task and also to allow us to renew our determination to reveal the life of the Bodhisattva from within ourselves.
I hope this helps you as you carry out your personal practice on a daily basis. You can see that in reality our conducting the daily service is truly our direct participation in the great drama revealed in the Lotus Sutra. Though we may at first approach it superficially over time we embrace it’s truth and meaning deeper into our lives. I hope that you will strive to renew your determination every day to carry out a meaningful daily service.
