Specific Introduction
Today's post will convey what I regard to be the correct practice of Buddhism. This is meant to stand in stark contrast to the practices promoted by the Soka Gakkai International (SGI).
General Introduction
Today's post is the seventh installment in my "TO: SGI" series, which is primarily addressed to current and former members of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI). Of course, anyone else is invited to read and ponder this post, but please keep in mind that it would be helpful if you are familiar with the details of SGI Buddhism's practices and terminology. This link will connect you to the homepage of my Lotus Sutra Champions blog so you can access links to other essays I've posted and so you can read a general introduction to this new site:
http://lotussutrachampions.blogspot.com/2013/07/lotus-sutra-champions.html
The basis of correct Buddhist practice
As far as I'm concerned and as far as SGI Buddhists should be concerned, the basis of correct practice is the Lotus Sutra. I am aware that SGI places greater emphasis on the opinions of their founding figure, Nichiren Daishonin. But, as I've written before, Nichiren is not a Buddha and in fact declared himself not to be. However, SGI insists it knows better, which is why they promote him over Shakyamuni Buddha.
Since even Nichiren claimed that the Lotus Sutra was the highest teaching of Shakyamuni, I feel I can use that sutra as a reasonable basis for any comments I might make. This is one of its most important statements as uttered by Shakyamuni himself:
QUOTE (see source at the end of this posting):
Gainer of Great Authority, you should understand that this Lotus Sutra richly benefits the bodhisattvas mahasattva, for it can cause them to attain supreme perfect enlightenment. For this reason, after the thus come one has passed into extinction the bodhisattvas mahasattva should at all times accept, uphold, read, recite, explain, preach, and transcribe this sutra.
:UNQUOTE.
The part I highlighted in yellow deserves a clarification, which appears on page 205 of the same book quoted above. Not only "can" the Lotus Sutra cause them to reach enlightenment, it is the only means by which they can attain enlightenment :
QUOTE:
But if the person is able to hear, understand, ponder, and practice the sutra, then you should know that he can draw near to supreme perfect enlightenment. Why? Because all bodhisattvas who attain supreme perfect enlightenment in all cases do so through this [Lotus] sutra.
:UNQUOTE.
Again, the Buddha himself spoke these words. I inserted "[Lotus]" in this quote, since the context of this quote makes it perfectly clear that the Lotus is the "sutra" the Buddha is referring to.
Correct Buddhist Practice
What should be chanted?
The chanting of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo and gongyo (parts A and C) should be discontinued. The Lotus Sutra doesn't mention the daimoku at all, so why should that be considered the primary practice - or even any part of correct practice? And chanting gongyo, as is currrently done, in Chinese basically encourages members to ignore the Lotus Sutra as a whole. Parts A and C come from the Lotus but are not its entirety, which the Buddha says should be embraced. Anyone chanting Parts A and C in Chinese will not be chanting anything they understand. So what's the point?
Instead, I urge that the Lotus Sutra and its opening and closing sutras be chanted in their entirety in English - all 396 pages. There are several English translations of the Lotus available, but (especially for SGI members) the version cited at the end of this post would be most appropriate since that version was published by the SGI. Some might argue that only the Lotus should be chanted and not to include its opening and closing sutras - known as The Immeasurable Meanings Sutra and Sutra on How to Practice Meditation on Bodhisattva Universal Worthy. However, in my personal opinion based on the references the Lotus makes to these other two sutras, it would be appropriate consider all three as (in effect) the Lotus Sutra. In fact, often these three are referred to as the threefold Lotus Sutra.
As for those who don't understand English, they should chant the threefold Lotus in their own language. The point is to understand what you're reading aloud (chanting) as you read aloud. Only that can build reinforcement and understanding.
My personal practice is to chant in English by directly reading the text cited at the end of this blog, starting at the beginning. The next day, I pick up where I had left off on the previous day. I proceed in this manner until I've read all 396 pages. And then I start at the beginning and proceed to read the whole thing over again. So far, I've read the Lotus over 150 times - but that did not include the opening and closing sutras. I included these within the last 6 months, since my study of these texts and of the Lotus itself convinced me that all three sutras should be recited.
What should be chanted to?
If SGI wishes to practice Buddhism correctly, in terms of what Shakyamuni Buddha (and not Nichiren Non-Buddha) had in mind, they've got to get rid of the Gohonzon as the object of devotion. The Gohonzon served a practical purpose, but only as long as SGI members had memorized gongyo and could therefore concentrate their gaze on this mandala. Since I propose that, for English speakers, the English language version replace the current Parts A and C, and since the entire Lotus is much longer and therefore would not be memorized by most people (nor is that really necessary), how could the Gohonzon remain as the object of worship? The chanter would be holding a copy of this book in his hands and would be reciting what he sees on the printed page. He wouldn't be able to take his eyes off this book unless he had memorized it and could therefore afford to gaze upon the Gohonzon.
The book itself should be regarded, for all practical purposes, as the supreme object of worship. Of course, if it gets damaged or worn out over time, a new copy of this book should be purchased and the old one destroyed, preferably in a respectful manner.
What would a chanting session look like?
Someone chanting alone at home would simply pick up his copy of the threefold Lotus and recite it in the manner I've described above. If a small group of people chant together, they could take turns reading aloud (say) for one minute each and keep taking turns until their agreed-upon time for chanting expires.
Chanting in unison in large groups, even those consisting of dozens or even hundreds (or even thousands) of people is possible. I've experimented with reading the English-language version by reading each syllable in each sentence without any pauses as might be called for when commas appear, reciting one sentence at a time in one breath. The current parts A and C are read that way - as kind of a drone without pauses or emphases. Whoever is leading large-group gongyo would start by reading a predetermined portion for a few minutes without the group joining in until he reaches a predetermined point. Then the congregation would join in, after having gained a sense of this particular leader's speed and rhythm.
Members would follow the leader's cues as to speed, and when to take a breath which is important when reciting sentences so long they can't be recited in one breath. The leader would determine when to take a breath and would simply stop chanting at that point. Of course, the members would keep chanting not knowing the leader had planned to stop for a breath at a certain point. But when they become aware that the leader had stopped, they would stop. And then they would pause until the leader started chanting again. They would let him chant alone for a couple of words until they figured out where he picked up and then they could rejoin him.
This can be done, but you might ask, "What happens if the leader makes a mistake, like losing his place or transposing words or adding or subtracting words?" Any of these errors would obviously throw off the rhythm of the group, but this would be immediately obvious. In which case, the leader simply stops and pauses briefly and then tries again. The leader would pick the place where he went wrong or perhaps start at a place just before that. The members would listen long enough to figure out when and where they should join in. If the leader makes an error toward the end of a sentence, he might not stop in order to try again but instead finish the sentence.
The basic understanding would be that chanting is supposed to stop upon reaching a sentence's period (or question mark). Then everybody takes time to breathe and the leader starts the next sentence, with the members joining him after he utters the first few words, thereby setting the pace.
A possible refinement based on the Practice of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging
For large groups, I like the idea of rearranging the chairs in the meeting hall so they don't all face front. There would be three divisions within this hall - half of the rows of chairs facing (for example) north, the other half facing south, with a separation of these two blocks of (say) ten feet. The leader could sit within this separation with his back to (say) the west wall. That way, you'd have each of these two groups of people chanting toward the other group. That would be preferable to one large mass of chairs facing north directing their chanting at the leader.
Chapter 20 of the Lotus Sutra is entitled "The Bodhisattva Never Disparaging," who practiced by bowing to other people and directing his respectful words toward them. Each half of the congregation chanting to the other half would be paying homage to that practice. In addition, not only does the book assume the status of object of worship, so do the other people to whom one is directing one's voice.
End Comments
The comments above are only my opinion as to what is correct practice. But I encourage these to be food for thought. Members might come up with their own variations, and time to experiment and get used to any new approach would be needed. I don't really expect the SGI to heed my suggestions, especially since the Gohonzon is so central to their practice and world view. It's hard to change, especially when faced with the prospect that 10, 20, 30 or more years of lifetime practice would have to be judged as incorrect. And of course having all Gohonzons ritually destroyed would be hard for long-time members to accept. Perhaps they would do well to reflect on the importance of abandoning inappropriate attachments, which is a basic Buddhist teaching taught by Shakyamuni himself.
I myself chanted for years in the manner prescribed by the SGI, but I don't consider that to have been wasted effort. In my view, anyone's sincere efforts to practice Buddhism is worthy of respect - as long as they keep an open mind about why they might have to change their practice and being brave enough to do so when that time comes.
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Steven Searle, just another member of the Lotus Sutra's Virtual Samgha
Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com
Source:
Page 311 of The Lotus Sutra and it's Opening and Closing Sutras, translated by Burton Watson, and published by the Soka Gakkai International in 2009. Page 311 is part of the Lotus Sutra portion of this book.
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