The Third Level of the Fivefold Comparisor
Mahayana Buddhism can be divided into provisional and true Mahayana .The principle of Gonjitsu Sotai reveals that “true Mahayana is superior to provisional Mahayana.
” Gon means “provisional teaching.” Jitsu means the Buddha’s true teaching. Applying this to the five periods of Shakyamuni’s teachings, Gon signifies the periods of the Kegon, Agon, Hodo, and Hannya sutras that were taught for 40 some years before the Lotus Sutra.
Jitsu signifies the Lotus Sutra, which Shakyamuni taught during the last eight years of His life.With regards to the Four Teachings, Gon is the Tripitaka, connecting, and specific teachings, while jitsu signifies the perfect teaching.
In the “Opening of the Eyes “(Kaimoku Sho), the Daishonin compares the Lotus Sutra and pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and reveals the superiority of the Lotus Sutra by stating:
The doctrines that the Buddha taught over a period of fifty years number eighty thousand. They fall into various categories such as Hinayana works and Mahayana works, provisional and true sutras.
… (Omission) But among these, the Lotus Sutra represents the correct teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, the true words of the Buddhas of the ten directions in the past, present, and future. (Gosho, p. 526; MW-2 , p. 78-79)
In the “Sutra of Infinite Meaning” (Muryogi kyo) Shakyamuni, Himself, revealed the principle “True Mahayana is superior to Provisional Mahayana” in this famous quote:
In these more than forty years, I have not yet revealed the truth. (MW-2, p. 86)
He further states in the Hoben (Second) Chapter of the Lotus Sutra:
Honestly discarding the provisional teachings, I will expound only the supreme Way. (MW-6, p. 7)
Shakyamuni declared that His teachings prior to the Lotus Sutra are all provisional. They are the means to lead His followers to the Lotus Sutra, the most supreme and respectable teaching.The Hosshi(Tenth) Chapter of the Lotus Sutras states;
Among all those I have preached, now preach and will preach, this Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and difficult to understand. (Gosho, p.1002; MW- 4, p.179)
Here Shakyamuni emphasizes the supremacy of the Lotus Sutra over the pre – Lotus Sutra teachings (the sutras “I have preached”), the “Sutra of Infinite Meaning” (the sutra “I now preach”), and the Nirvana Sutra (the sutra “I will preach”).
The Daishonin discusses the difference between the Lotus Sutra and the provisional sutras in “The Opening of the Eyes” as follows:
All the provisional sutras such as the Kegon, Hannya, and Dainichi, not only conceal the fact that people in the two realms of shomon and engaku can attain Buddhahood , but they also fail to make clear that the Buddha achieved enlightenment countless aeons in the past.These sutras are guilty of two errors.First because they teach that the ten worlds of existence are separate from one another, they fail to move beyond the provisional doctrines and to reveal the doctrine of Ichinen sanzen as itis expounded in the theoretical chapters of the Lotus Sutra. (Gosho, P. 535; Ref MW-2, p. 103)
The provisional teachings do expound various deep principles and doctrines. they are only a partial vi ew of the truth.The Daishonin taught that the provisional sutras contain two fundamental errors.First, they fail to explain the
This principle demonstrates the possibility of the attainment of enlightenment by those of the two vehicles (Nijo sabutsu) .Second, the provisional sutras do not reveal the truth of the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha in the inconceivably remote past (Kuon jitsujo) .Let’s discuss these two points in greater detail.
The Inability of the Atteinment of Enlightment by those of the Vehicles
The people of the two vehicle are called shomon (those of the world of learning) and engaku (those of the world of realization) .Shariputra, Mahakashyapa, and Ananda are examples of The two vehicles. They were considered to be great disciples of Shakyamuni in the Hinayana sutras. Not practice for the sake of others.For this reason, the Kegon Sutra states:
Even a common mortal in hell can attain enlightenment, but the people of the two vehicles are unable to attain enlightenment.
In the Hotto Sutra it is written:
Just like a lotus flower which won’t grow high on a hill, the people of the two vehicles sever their seeds of Buddhahood.
The Buddha scolded the disciples of the fwo vehicles.He preached the provisional Mahayana sutras to lay a foundation. Then,He saved them by preaching the Lotus Sutra, the True Mahayana, which enables the attainment of enlightenment for the shomon and engaku disciples.
The principle of Ichinen sanzen, is the Buddha’s realization and the true entity of life.It consists of the Ten Worlds, the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the Ten Factors of life, and the Three Realms of Existence.The Daishonin states in the “Opening of the Eyes”:
The concept of Ichinen sanzen begins with an understanding of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds or states of existence. (Gosho, P. 526; MW-2. p.80) The concept of Ichinen sanzen becomes clear once the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds is explained.The true entity of Ichinen sanzen is the Ten Worlds: hell , hunger, animality, anger, humanity, rapture, learning, realization, bodhisattva, and Buddhahood. These ten worlds themselves, each possess the ten worlds.This creates the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, and explains the cause and effect of all life in the universe.
If those of the two vehicles, the shomon and engaku were truly unable to attain enlightenment, the significance of the principle of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds would be completely nullified.
The provisional Mahayana sutras do not preach the enlightenment of the shomon and engaku But the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra predicted the future attainment of enlightenment of those of the two vehicles for the first time.Thus, the true meaning of the attainment of enlightenment of all life in the Ten Worlds was revealed.The mutual possession of Buddhahood and the nine worlds, and the doctrines of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the True hundred worlds and thousand factors, and Ichinen sanzen were finally established.
The Concealment of Shakyamuni’s Enlightment in the inconceivably Remote Past
In the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, Shakyamuni preached from the position that he renounced the world at the age of 19 and reached enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at the age of 30.This was the Buddha’s preaching of Shijo Shogaku, the true Buddha who first attain enlightenment during His lifetime in India.However, if the Buddha’s life is not eternal, our own attainment of enlightenment is also transient.So in the Juryo Chapter of Essential (Honmon) Teaching of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni declared:
People think that I renounced the world and reached enlightenment near the town of Gaya [in India] .However, I actually already achieved enlightenment in the inconceivably remote past (Gohyaku- jintengo). (Summary)
In this way, Shakyamuni revealed His true identity from the time of Gohyaku-jintengo and revealed the fact that He had actually achieved enlightenment in the inconceivably remote past (Kuon jitsujo) .This was actual proof of the eternal truth of Ichinen sanzen spanning the three periods of past, present and future. attainment of enlightenment for all common mortals then became possible.It was.then, the Lotus Sutra that first revealed the attainment of enlightenment for all common mortals.
The pre-Lotus Sutra teachings taught that evil people and women were unable to attain enlightenment.The teaching that women cannot attain emlightenment, or that women can attain enlightenment only by beng reborn as men is far from the truth of Buddhism.which is based on compassion It is a provisional teaching.
In the Denudatia (Twelfth) Chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the attainment of emlighteement by women was demonstrated through the actual proof of the Dragon King’s daughter. She achieving Buddhahood in her present form (Sokushin Johudsu) as a feenale and an a dragon, Devadatta was given a prediction of his future enlightenment which demonstrate the enlightenmment of evil people, revealing the Buddha’s Great Mercy.
As we bave dincussed, sutrae such as the Hannya, Kegen, Agen, and Dainichi are all provisional sutras which were preached before the Lotus Sutra. The Daishonin said in the “Reply to the Mother of Lord Uemo”
Now the scaffolding represents the various other sutras, and the great pagoda, the Lotus Sutra.When one is preparing to build a great pagoda, the scaffolding is of great importance. But once the pagoda is completed, then the scaffolding is removed and thrown away (MW-7, p.242)
The Lotus Sutra is superior to all other sutras.However, the doctrine of Ichinen sanzen that is revealed though comparison and analysis is still only a theoretical doctrine.With regards to the enlightenment of us, the common mortals of the Latter Day of the Law the Daishonin stated:
Now in the Latter Day of the Law, neither the Lotus Sutra nor the other sutras lead to enlightenment.Only Nam-Myoho-Renge- Kyo can do so. (Gosho, p .1219; MW-3, p.226)
With strong faith in the Daishonin’s Buddhism let us strive in our practice of chanting the Daimoku and doing shakubuku as we look towards the 750th anniversary of establishment of True Buddhism.
