Eternal  Life

Again, the Buddha addressed the listeners saying: "Listen then all of you attentively to the secret, mysterious, and super naturally pervading power of the Tathagata."

The 16th Book of the Lotus Sutra is considered by scholars and spiritual leaders alike to be the heart and essential diamond of the great teachings. The reason for this is not easy to explain in one Sharing Session, however, we can grasp that the Juryo Chapter or Life of the Thus Come One reveals the eternal life of the Buddha, and of all existence.

Our Meditation for the coming week comes from the Juryo Chapter, Fundamental Means "ever since then I have been constantly in this world, expounding the Law and instructing [the people]. Also I have led and benefited the people in one hundred, thousand,
ten thousand, hundred thousand, nayuta, asogi other worlds."

This is an incredible statement, for here we have the earthly Buddha Shakyamuni, who has previously told us that he is a common mortal, that he has been a Bodhisattva and a student of others, now tell us he has also been a teacher not only here but in many, many other worlds.

Here we have the Realisation of the meaning of "mutual possession" for only with the ever changing eternal entity of the Ten Worlds can we conceive the Buddha's statement to be possible. As Buddhist's we do not believe in a super-natural deity, we do believe eternal life is universal, and constantly available as part of all three existence's, of past, present and future.

In these two lines, we come to understand that the ultimate Buddha being is the eternal life-force. Here also, the Buddha teaches us that our messengers, guardians, protectors may be everyday people, people we know and love, or perhaps someone who comes into our lives bringing us a lesson. In the discovery of our Buddha nature we are able to find the discipline and freedom to accept all our personal challenges, to expiate our earthly suffering turning poison into medicine, health and happiness.

These two lines from the Eternal Life Chapter have great significance when we compare any doctrine previous to the Lotus Sutra, or to some of Shakyamuni's earlier teachings. Many other sutra's teach that the human world is not a higher world and that Buddha's do not appear here. In the "Pure Land" Sect for example, Amida Buddha dwells in the western realm of the universe. Yakushi Buddha, and Vairochana Buddha live in the eastern realm of the universe, in the Pure Emerald World, and Lotus Treasury World respectively. [Lectures on the Sutra ]

In ancient Sanskrit, saha means endurance and earth is considered a saha world. For anyone over twelve years old this is pretty self evident. When Shakyamuni shares with us that, he has "constantly been in this world" then I believe it inspires us to understand that we all can go beyond our sickness, suffering, and challenges; finding acceptance, forgiveness and compassion. By discovering our Buddha nature we become attuned the Realisation that everything is interconnected which helps rid One of confusion, illusion and selfish motivations.

In the revelation of the Eternal Life Chapter of the Lotus Sutra we find one of the most essential of the Buddha's teachings. Tien T'ai Chi'I has this explanation of the Three Bodies of the Buddha in One as: 1 ] The Buddha of the mystic, universal Law 2 ] the individual or personalised Buddha and 3 ] the Buddha of spiritual entity. The body of the Law, [faith] body of physical being, [our physical Being] and body of spiritual being [the Oneness with all phenomena.]

The Sixteenth Chapter of the Lotus Sutra emphasises this "Three in One," unity of trinity. This trinity is the fusion of the Person and the Law, our connection to the Law, the Buddha and the Beings, forever existing and immortal. We are invited to use our seeking nature to become wise and understand the universal Law. Our long-cultivated [through past experience] personal karma contains sub-conscience memory-power, enabling our wisdom-light to discover and make specific offerings within our "three in one body." This is why we use the, five in one, sound-meditation of Nam~Myoho~Renge-Kyo daily in our life. Making "conscious contact" with the universal Law, and the protector energy forces available to us. The Buddha of the Former Day of the Law taught that the past, present and future are All One. Living in our NOW, we are fortunate to be able to realise the joy of our journey through an active daily life.

It takes discipline, work and effort to develop ones Spiritual Health, so that the other parts of life may shine brightly. Personal growth and allowing others to live their lives freely is not easy. If we look at our current history as well as past history, we can see how true this is for the power of the Devil of the Sixth Heaven continues to harbour too many humans who through greed, anger and stupidity continue to push war and killing as the way to peace. What human insanity!

We understand we cannot control others or what they do, this is why we should not seek happiness outside ourselves. Our power to change things is by our daily offerings to the Shoten Zenzin, the energy forces of our Universe that can carry the energy of peaceful means as awareness. Through chanting daily we become stronger, we are empowered to make a difference by not participating in gossip, news-media falsehoods, judging others. We should be reminding our self constantly that everyone we see living in the Lower Worlds of anger, greed, and stupidity, also have the inherent potential to become a Buddha.

As Buddhists we have an obligation to tell others about our Buddha-way of peaceful means. By understanding the Buddha [spirit, energy] is constantly in this world we can be healthy and happy knowing that wisdom and enlightenment is attainable, just as we are.

Thus It Has Been Shared..... Ajari Henry

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