Top view on the Divine Eagle Peak where Buddha gave the lectures.
This time, for the benefit of beginners, let me talk about the subject of our connection with the Buddha.
About 1,400 years ago in China, the monk Zhiyi, also known as Master Tiantai and often referred to colloquially as “the little Shakyamuni,” logically organized and expounded the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. During Master Taintai’s training, various incidents, like the following, unfolded.
One day, Master Tiantai journeyed through the war-torn countryside in desperation to Mount Dasu in Guangzhou (present-day Henan Province) because he learned that the venerable monk Nanyue Huisi (515–77) was staying there. When he arrived there, he asked Nanyue to accept him as a disciple. It is said that the moment Master Nanyue cast his first glance upon the young Master Tiantai, Nanyue spoke the following words:
“In the distant past, on Divine Eagle Peak, you and I listened to the Lotus Sutra together. That karmic connection has come to fruition, and so now you have come to me.”
“Divine Eagle Peak” is the mountain where Shakyamuni Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra. The term “karmic connection” refers to ties stemming from the events of a previous life.
By the way, Reverend Etai Yamada (1895–1994), the leader of the Tendai Buddhist sect [at the time of this 1990 Dharma talk], and Professor Zhao Puchu (1907–2000), the chairman of the Buddhist Association of China [also in 1990], are the Buddhist leaders I hold in highest regard. In the summer of 1987, I had the privilege of spending three whole days, from morning until evening, discussing the Lotus with both masters. Throughout those three days, Professor Zhao spoke with conviction, joyfully repeating the following words many times:
“The three of us discussing the Lotus Sutra together like this is an utmost joy. I have no doubt that when Shakyamuni Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra on Divine Eagle Peak, we were all there listening together.”
When I first heard him say this, I was surprised for a moment, but upon further reflection, I have come to believe that people who can wholeheartedly trust one another in this life are bound by some kind of karmic connection from a previous life. The experience made me deeply appreciate this.
The Lotus Sutra, to which we devote ourselves and our practice, is sometimes called the “Sutra of Assurances of Buddhahood.” The term “assurance of buddhahood” refers to the guarantee of buddhahood that Shakyamuni Buddha gave to his disciples, saying, “In the future, you will surely attain the awakening of a buddha.” In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha repeatedly gives large numbers of disciples these guarantees of becoming a buddha.
Moreover, [in light of these assurances, which foretell the recipient’s attainment of buddhahood in the distant future], I think that [contrary to other interpretations of the Lotus Sutra] it can also be called a “Sutra of Practice Through Many Kalpas.” The phrase “practice through many kalpas” means that individuals continue their spiritual practice across numerous lifetimes, being reborn time and time again until they ultimately attain buddhahood.
In addition to those ways to describe the Lotus Sutra, I think it’s fitting to call it the “Sutra that Teaches Us Our Connection with the Buddha,” because from beginning to end, it describes our deep connection with the Buddha.
Bodai no me o okosashimu [Germinating the Seeds of Awakening] (Kosei Publishing, 2018), pp. 53–55
Nikkyo Niwano, the founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, was born in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, in 1906. A longtime advocate of cooperation and dialogue between the world’s religious faiths, Rev. Niwano promoted interreligious understanding as honorary chairman of Shinshuren (Federation of New Religious Organizations of Japan), honorary president of Religions for Peace, and in various other capacities. He is the author of several books on Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra, and spirituality, such as Buddhism for Today, Lifetime Beginner, Buddhism for Everyday Life, and more. Rev. Niwano passed away in 1999 at the age of 92.
