Gosho Reading (Nichiren Buddhism) · The Ignorant Trio

035 Earthly Desires Are Enlightenment

July 1, 2023·12 min·1 clip

Nichiren reveals why he doesn't regret facing great persecutions as the votary of the Lotus Sutra.

This episode examines the Nichiren Buddhist principle that earthly desires and suffering are inseparable from enlightenment. The host reads and interprets a letter from the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist teacher Nichiren. Nichiren addresses his followers regarding the persecutions he has faced for spreading his teachings. Nichiren states he does not regret the great persecutions encountered as a votary of the Lotus Sutra. He reflects that no life could be more fortunate than his, even across countless cycles of birth and death. He suggests these troubles prevented him from remaining in the three or four evil paths of existence. Nichiren expresses joy at being sure he will sever the cycle of suffering and attain Buddhahood. He references historical figures Tiantai and Dengyo, who faced hatred for spreading the "theoretical" teaching of 3000 realms in a single moment of life. The transmission of this teaching to Japan through Dengyo is noted. The episode details the lineage of the Tendai school in Japan, citing the great teacher Jie and his 18 chief priests. Four key disciples—Danna, Eshin, Soga, and Zenyu—are named, with the teaching later dividing into two streams. Priest Danna's lineage focused on transmitting doctrinal studies, while Priest Eshin's lineage specialized in meditative practices. Nichiren compares these two approaches to the sun and moon, describing doctrinal studies as broad but shallow. He characterizes the meditative practices of Eshin's lineage as limited in scope but deep. Nichiren then positions his own teaching as seeming limited but being extremely profound. He claims his teaching goes deeper than those expounded by the earlier masters Tiantai and Dengyo. The foundational depth of his teaching is attributed to the "three important matters" found in the Lifespan chapter of the Lotus Sutra. A key insight is the transformative view of persecution as a fortunate catalyst for spiritual attainment. The historical framework provided connects Nichiren's experience directly to a lineage of teachers who also faced opposition. The episode presents a clear hierarchy of teachings, valuing profound depth over broad scholasticism. The tone is didactic and reverential, focused on scriptural exegesis and doctrinal history. The style is a direct reading and explanation of primary source material. This episode would deeply interest practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism seeking doctrinal understanding. Listeners without a specific interest in Buddhist philosophy or history might find it too specialized.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Gosho Reading (Nichiren Buddhism)