Gohonzon Study; The Blessing and Curse Phrases
robek
Taisekiji, such as the SGI Nichikan, the Nittatsu, and the Nikken. The
inscriptions are located in the top row, on either side of the
Daimoku, outside of, or flanking, the two Buddhas and four
Bodhisattvas. On the right side of the mandala, or your left if you
are facing the mandala, reading from the center to the left, it would
be Shakyamini Buddha, Jyogyo Bodhisattva, Anryugyo Bodhisattva, and
the blessing or gain phrase. On the left side of the mandala, or your
right if you are facing the mandala, reading from the center to the
right, it would be Taho Nyorai, Jogyo Bodhisattva, Muhengyo
Bodhisattva, and the curse or loss phrase. These are also often said
to appear on the Camphor Wood Yashiro Kunishige Dai-Mandara, a. k. a.
Taisekiji Daigohonzon, a. k. a. Ita {Plank or Board} Mandala.
The following erroneous claim was made, several years ago, by a
"Kenpon Hokke" web site, not by me, and I now disagree with the
claim:According to a Kenpon Hokke group , "None of the known gohonzons
inscribed by Nichiren has those phrases" and, "Such phrases never
appeared in any other Nichiren gohonzon, and are incongruous with the
nature of the gohonzon. (These are the phrases referring to "gain" and
"loss", on either side of the SGI/NST honzons)."
This is contradicted by the Kuden texts, commentaries, the Goibun or
Gosho of Nichiren,the Suttas, and the Sutras:
http://www.fraughtwithperil.com/blogs/rbeck/archives/001676.html#more
robek
>
> The following erroneous claim was made, several years ago, by a
> "Kenpon Hokke" web site, not by me, and I now disagree with the
> claim:According to a Kenpon Hokke group , "None of the known gohonzons
> inscribed by Nichiren has those phrases" and, "Such phrases never
> appeared in any other Nichiren gohonzon, and are incongruous with the
> nature of the gohonzon. (These are the phrases referring to "gain" and
> "loss", on either side of the SGI/NST honzons)."
>
> This is contradicted by the Kuden texts, commentaries, the Goibun or
> Gosho of Nichiren,the Suttas, and the Sutras:http://www.fraughtwithperil.com/blogs/rbeck/archives/001676.html#more
Reginald Carpenter wrote to me: "those two (2) so called "Blessing/
Curse inscriptions" are really NOT present on the so called "Yashiro
Memorial Daimandara", aka. Taiseki-ji Dai-Gohonzon, aka. Ita Mandala,"
which is commonly & correctly called the Dai-Gohonzon! Nichiren
Daishonin ... gave & left the instructions for putting/ transcribing
those two (2) terms on the Gohonzon in a passage from "Seven Articles
on Transmission of the Gohonzon" that was published in the "Nichiren
Shoshu Seiten" (page #379) by the 65th High Priest of Nichiren Shoshu
in 1952! "
>From the Gosho: "Some people may be perplexed at this point and object
that, although those who do harm to a votary of the Lotus Sutra are
supposed to have their heads split into seven pieces, there are men
who slander Nichiren and yet do not have broken heads. Are we to
conclude, they may ask, that Nichiren is not a true votary of the
Lotus Sutra?" -- Nichiren: On the Buddha's Behavior
>From the Ambattha Sutta aka "Pride Humbled": "And at that moment
Vajrapani the Yaksha, holding up a huge iron club, flaming, ablaze and
glowing, up in the sky just above Ambattha was thinking, "If this
young man does not answer a proper question put to him by the Blessed
Lord by the third time of asking, I'll split his head into seven
pieces!" The Lord saw Vajrapani, and so did Ambattha. And at the
sight, Ambattha was terrified and unnerved, his hairs stood on end,
and he sought protection, shelter, and safety from the Lord. Crouching
down close to the Lord, he said, "What did the Reverend Gotama say?
May the Reverend Gotama repeat what he said!"
>From the Lotus Sutra, Dharani Chapter, Kishimojin and her Ten
Rasetsunyo daughters utter, "If there are those who fail to heed our
spells and trouble and disrupt the preachers of the Law, their heads
will split into seven pieces like the branches of the arjaka."
[if one touches the Arjaka or Basil shrub, the flower spike or blossom
falls off with its branch and breaks apart. The Coleus has a similar
flower spike, as do Sage, Peppermint, and other members of the mint
family. ]
Kishimojin's name is on a number of Nichiren mandalas, as is
Jurasetsunyo. Both the Raksha and the Rakshasha originally dwell in
the realm of rapacious spirits or hungry ghosts; known as Preta
{sanskrit} or Gaki {sino-japanese}. So, in one sense they represent
the World of Hunger. However, in Buddhist mythology, they are also
elevated to the status of protective gods & goddesses' or angel like
beings call hiten { } and hitenyo { }. Nichiren credited their
protection with saving him from both the Matsubagayatsu & Komatsubara
persecutions.
The story behind this elevation from a depraved demon to angel is as
follows: Hariti was evidently kidnapping human children, to feed her
own children. This caused great suffering among the humans, who
appealed to the Buddha for help. The Buddha taught Hariti a lesson by
hiding one her children. Hariti, in her grief, then feels remorse for
her actions, repents, and vows to use her might to protect children of
all species. The Buddha then returns her child. Over time, the
iconography of Hariti assumed the maternal Koyasu form; similar to the
Koyasu or child giving form of Kanzeon; of whom Kishimojin is
sometimes seen as an emanation.
robek
least similar phrases, can also be found in Sutras, as well as
Shastras {{ ( Ron, Commentaries}. Also, in fact, these do appear to be
on at least six authenticated and published Nichiren Mandalas. In his
rebuttal of Kempon Hokke's claims, The late Reverend Nittatsu of
Taisekiji asserted that there are six {6] Nichiren originals with
these inscriptions. I am fairly certain I have confirmed this. These
include:
* Mandala # 053, inscribed in August 1278 and housed at [Shizuoka
Prefecture Shizuoka City Shimizu] Kaicho-ji, conferral to { } Nitcho
{ } Shonin { }; one of the Six {6} Senior Ministers { --
Rokuroso}.
* Mandala #60, inscribed on February 2, 1279 and housed at Juryo-
ji of Kuwana, conferral to { } Child of Shakya { } Nichimoku { },
who was Nikko's successor at Taisekiji.
* Mandala # 65, inscribed in July 1279 and housed at Kocho-ji of
Okamiya, conferral to { } Shamon, Wandering Monk { } Nippo { }.
The others are the Mandalas numbered 54, 57, and 59.
http://www.fraughtwithperil.com/blogs/rbeck/archives/001676.html#more
Reginald Carpenter
all, I just wanted to verify that I wrote what you have correctly quoted
from me in your message below as well as on your website. Secondly,
your 3rd/ third posting on this thread did NOT show Up on my MSNtv Arbn
message board, but it is on the Google groups Arbn website. Thirdly &
lastly, in my opinion, you really did a good job re. the subject &
related subjects on your website. WorldPeace! }:<{0
***************************************************
Re: Gohonzon Study; The Blessing and Curse Phrases
Group: alt.religion.buddhism.nichiren
Date: Fri, Sep 28, 2007, 5:22pm
From: robek <rrob...@mchsi.com>
***************************************************
Reginald Carpenter
"The Head of a Slanderer Will Be Broken into Seven Pieces, He Who Makes
Offerings Will Know Fortune Exceeding the Ten Honorable Titles"
(Nyaku Noransha Zuha Shichibun --- Ukuyosha Fukuka Jugo)
from Daibyaku-ho, no. 514
"This article will explain two related Buddhist terms. The first,
nyaku noransha zuha shichibun, describes retribution for slander of the
True Law, while the second, ukuyosha fukuka jugo, indicates the
blessings that result from embracing the True Law." {1st para.}
"The term, nyaku noransha zuha schichibun, is an excerpt that appears
in the Great Teacher Miao-lo's Hokke Mongu Ki, and translates:
"If there are those who cause trouble and disruption, their heads will
be split into seven pieces."
However, the original text comes from the Darani {Dharani} chapter of
the Lotus Sutra which reads:
"If there are those who fail to heed our spells and trouble and disrupt
the preachers of the Law, their heads will split into seven pieces like
the branches of the arjaka tree." (Hokekyo, p. 580; Ref.: The Lotus
Sutra, Translated by Burton Watson, p. 310)" {2nd para.}
"In this passage, the Ten Demon Daughters and Kishimojin promise to
split like a branch of an arjaka tree the head of any person who
harasses or disrupts a votary of the Lotus Sutra." {3rd para.}
"Furthermore, a section from the Gosho entitled, "On the Buddha's
Behavior," states the following:
"Rather than saying that the head is split into seven pieces, we
sometimes say that the mind is split into seven pieces. The skull bone
under the scalp breaks apart because of the reverberations of the mind.
There are also splittings of the skull that take place only after
death........ How could they have failed to realize that they were being
punished because they slandered the Votary of the Lotus Sutra!" (Ref.:
M.W., Vol. 1, p. 201)" {4th para.}
"As this passage indicates, the head being split into seven pieces can
also be understood to mean that the mind is split into seven pieces.
Nichiren Daishonin is warning us that when an individual slanders either
the Dai-Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws or a person who has
taken faith in the Dai-Gohonzon, either his head will split open or his
mind will become deranged." {5th para.}
** Page #7, Nichiren Shoshu Monthly magazine,
June 2002 issue; copyright 2002 NST. All Rights Reserved.
To Be Continued .............
Reginald Carpenter
"The term, ukuyosha fukuka jugo, is also explained in the Hokke Mongu
Ki, and can be translated:
"Those who offerings [to the Lotus Sutra] will reap fortune exceeding
the ten honorable titles." {6th para.}
Again, this passage is an interpretation of an original passage
appearing in the chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which speaks of the
blessings a person will gain by embracing the Lotus Sutra. {7th para.}
"The ten honorable titles" refer to ten kinds of honorific names given
to a Buddha." They are: "Thus Come One," "Worthy of Offerings," "Right
and Universal Knowledge," "Perfect Clarity and Conduct," "Well Gone,"
"Understanding of the World," "Unexcelled Worthy," "Leader of People,"
"Teacher of Gods and Humans," and "Buddha, the World-Honored One." {8th
para.}
A passage from the Yakuo chapter of the Lotus Sutra reads:
"Even if a person were to fill the whole thousand-million-fold world
with the seven treasures as an offering to the Buddha and the great
Bodhisattvas, Pratyeka-buddhas and arhats, the benefits gained by such a
person cannot match those gained by accepting and upholding this Lotus
Sutra, even just one four-line verse of it! The latter brings the most
numerous blessings of all." (Hokekyo, p. 532; Ref.: The Lotus Sutra,
Translated by Burton Watson, p. 285) {9th para.}
In the same way that this passage from the Yakuo chapter claims that
the blessings of embracing even one four-line verse of the Lotus Sutra
outshine the benefits gained by filling the whole thousand-million-fold
world with the seven treasures as an offering to the Buddha, the Great
Teacher Miao-lo praises the virtues gained by making offerings to the
Lotus Sutra as surpassing the fortune earned by making offerings to a
Buddha endowed with the ten honorable titles." {10th para.}
To Be Continued .............
**Page 8 of Nichiren Shoshu Monthly magazine, June 2002 issue; copyright
Reginald Carpenter
Re: Gohonzon Study; The Blessing and Curse Phrases
Group: alt.religion.buddhism.nichiren
From: Reginald Carpenter <chiefst...@msn.com>
Article continued ............. **
"The term, ukuyosha fukuka jugo, is also explained in the Hokke
Mongu Ki, and can be translated:
"Those who make offerings [to the Lotus Sutra] will reap fortune
To Be Continued .............
Corrected & reposted 10/03/07, 7:55pm GMT -5
Reginald Carpenter
"A passage from "Seven Articles on Transmission of the Gohonzon"
declares:
"When transcribing the Gohonzon, do exactly as I have shown you. If
[beneath the Daimoku] you do not write, "Nichiren, By His Authority,"
the deities of the heavens and the earth will refuse to recognize [your
transcription]. In the spaces between Jogyo-Muhengyo and Jikoku, and
between Jyogyo-Anryugyo and Bishamon, you are to inscribe `nyaku
noransha zuha shichibun' and `ukuyosha fukuka jugo'. As for
inscriptions of suitable passages from the Sutra, I will leave that to
your discretion."
(Nichiren Shoshu Seiten, p. 379) {11th para.}
In keeping with this declaration, `nyaku noransha zuha shichibun' is
inscribed on the right shoulder of the Gohonzon, while `ukuyosha fukuka
jugo' is inscribed on the left. {12th para.}
If those of us who believe in the Daishonin's Buddhism during the
Latter Day of the Law correctly embrace the Dai-Gohonzon of the Honmon
Kaidan, do our best to share the Daishonin's Buddhism with slanderers of
the True Law who cause trouble and disruption, and praise and make
offerings to the True Law, we will be able to reap immense blessings."
**
End of article.
**Page 8, Nichiren Shoshu Monthly magazine, June 2002 issue; copyright
robek
Kishimojin is the Japanese form of the Indic divinity Hariti.
Originally, Hariti is a Raksha {cannibal damons; ogres, ugly dwarves},
beings similar to the Trolls in Tolkien's tales. They are related to
the more benign beings known as Dwarves, except the Trolls eat people.
Hariti is/was the mother of 500 children; though some accounts give
this as 100, 1000, etc. Her mate was Pancika, the Chief General in the
Army of Kubera, king of the Raksha.
Kishimo appears in the Dharani Chapter of the Lotus Sutra, along with
ten {10} of her daughters. Oddly enough, these daughters are a
different species, they are Rakshashi, or, in Japan, Rasetsu-nyo. 'Ju'
means ten, and 'nyo' means they are female - hence, they are dubbed
the Ju-rasetsu-nyo. Their names are Lamba, Vilamba, Crooked Teeth,
Flowery Teeth, Black Teeth, Many Tresses, Insatiable, Necklace Holder,
Kunti, and Spirit Snatcher. The Rakshasa are shape shifters who remind
me of vampires.
>From the Lotus Sutra, Dharani Chapter, Kishimojin and her Ten
Rasetsunyo daughters utter, "If there are those who fail to heed our
spells and trouble and disrupt the preachers of the Law, their heads
will split into seven pieces like the branches of the arjaka."
[if one touches the Arjaka or Basil shrub, the flower spike or blossom
falls off with its branch and breaks apart. The Coleus has a similar
flower spike, as do Sage, Peppermint, and other members of the mint
family. ]
Kishimojin's name is on a number of Nichiren mandalas, as is
Jurasetsunyo. Both the Raksha and the Rakshasha originally dwell in
the realm of rapacious spirits or hungry ghosts; known as Preta
{sanskrit} or Gaki {sino-japanese}. So, in one sense they represent
the World of Hunger. However, in Buddhist mythology, they are also
elevated to the status of protective gods & goddesses' or angel like
beings call hiten { } and hitenyo { }. Nichiren credited their
protection with saving him from both the Matsubagayatsu & Komatsubara
persecutions.
Images & More:
http://www.fraughtwithperil.com/blogs/rbeck/archives/001683.html
Reginald Carpenter
To Be Continued .............
Reposted 10/05/07 (part 1 of 3)
Reginald Carpenter
To Be Continued .............
Reposted 10/05/07 (part 2)
Reginald Carpenter
End of article.
**Page 8, Nichiren Shoshu Monthly magazine, June 2002 issue; copyright
2002 NST. All Rights Reserved.
Reposted 10/05/07 (part 3 of 3)
Reginald Carpenter
To Be Continued .............
Reposted 10/20/07 (part 1 of 3)
Reginald Carpenter
Reposted 10/20/07 (part 3 of 3)
Reginald Carpenter
"The term, ukuyosha fukuka jugo, is also
explained in the Hokke Mongu Ki, and can be translated: "Those who make
offerings [to the Lotus Sutra] will reap fortune exceeding the ten
honorable titles." {6th para.}
Again, this passage is an interpretation of an original passage
appearing in the chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which speaks of the
blessings a person will gain by embracing the Lotus Sutra. {7th para.}
"The ten honorable titles" refer to ten
kinds of honorific names given to a Buddha." They are: "Thus Come One,"
"Worthy of Offerings," "Right and Universal Knowledge," "Perfect Clarity
and Conduct," "Well Gone," "Understanding of the World," "Unexcelled
Worthy," "Leader of People," "Teacher of Gods and Humans," and "Buddha,
the World-Honored One." {8th para.}
A passage from the Yakuo chapter of the
Lotus Sutra reads: "Even if a person were to fill the whole
thousand-million-fold world with the seven treasures as an offering to
the Buddha and the great Bodhisattvas, Pratyeka-buddhas and arhats, the
benefits gained by such a person cannot match those gained by accepting
and upholding this Lotus Sutra, even just one four-line verse of it! The
latter brings the most numerous blessings of all." (Hokekyo, p. 532;
Ref.: The Lotus Sutra, Translated by Burton Watson, p. 285) {9th para.}
In the same way that this passage from
the Yakuo chapter claims that the blessings of embracing even one
four-line verse of the Lotus Sutra outshine the benefits gained by
filling the whole thousand-million-fold world with the seven treasures
as an offering to the Buddha, the Great Teacher Miao-lo praises the
virtues gained by making offerings to the Lotus Sutra as surpassing the
fortune earned by making offerings to a Buddha endowed with the ten
honorable titles." {10th para.}
To Be Continued .............
**Page 8 of Nichiren Shoshu Monthly magazine, June 2002 issue; copyright
2002 NST.
All Rights Reserved.
Reposted 10/20/07 (part 2)