ENGLISH OKO
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PRAYER BEADS
MYOGYOJI TEMPLE
REVEREND IDO MIYAHARA
ASSISTANT PRIEST
MAY 17, 1986
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you
here today who attended this English Oko in spite of the long distance
and your busy schedules.
I have just finished Gongyo with all of you. Through this Gongyo,
I have given thanks to Nichiren Daishonin from the bottom of my heart.
Also, at the same time, I sincerely prayed for you to develop your faith
and for world-wide propagation.
Next, I would like to express my most sincere congratulations to
new members who accepted the Gohonzon and Gojukai here today. Also,
I would like to thank the sponsors who made a great effort doing
shakubuku.
Now, I will begin the lecture for my last Oko at Myogyoji.
Today, I would like to explain the origin of the prayer beads.
Nichikan Shonin, Twenty Sixth High Priest of Nichiren Shoshu, states
in his "Toke Sane Sho" (THE THREE ROBES OF THIS SCHOOL):
"The prayer beads are the Buddhist implement which helps the
ignorant common mortals advance in their Buddhist practice."
The MOKUGENJI sutra states:
'Once upon a time, there was a king whose name was Haruri. He
spoke these words in sorrow to the Buddha:
"My country is so small. In recent years, there have been famine
and pestilence throughout my country. As a result, all the people are
distressed. All the time, I can't feel easy about that. We are in a
painful position. The storehouse of the LAW is too profound and too
vast to practice. So please teach me what the main point of the Law is."
'Then the Buddha instructed him:
"King, if you want to eliminate earthly desires and to put an
end to their suffering, make a circular string of 108 beads made from
the seeds of the Mokugenji tree. Hold it always to yourself. Recite
'Nam Buddha -- Nam Dharma -- Nam Sangha'. Count one bead with each
recitation."'
So, this is the origin of the prayer beads. As this sutra indicates,
a circular string of beads is held when worshipping the Three Treasures,
or when counting the number of recitations.
Nichikan Shonin goes on to state:
"A circle of beads manifests the mystic principle. Miao-lo states
in his writings. THE MAKA SHIKAN FUGYODEN GUKETSU (Annotations on the
Great Concentration and Insight): 'There is no lack in the mystic
principle.'"
Therefore, we use a circle of beads that compares to the mystic
principle.
The basic number of beads is 108, which is said to represent the
number of earthly desires which common mortals have. According to this
school, Nam Buddha is Nam-Nichiren Daishonin, the True Buddha of hon'nin
myo, who possesses the three virtues of parent, teacher and sovereign.
Nam-Dharma signifies Nam-Dai-Gohonzon, the core of the JURYO
chapter of honmon, the supreme Law hidden in the depths of the Lotus
sutra, the inscrutable essence of the universe, the perfect fusion of
'Kyo' and 'Chi', the entity of Kuon Ganjo, the entity of the Buddha of
Absolute Freedom, the embodiment of ichinen sanzen and the oneness of
Person and Law.
Nam-Sangha is Nam-Nikko Shonin, the second high priest, the great
leader of the propagation of True Buddhism who received its pure lineage
directly from Nichiren Daishonin.
So, while praying sincerely to these three treasures, only chant
Nam-myoho-Renge-Kyo correctly with sincere faith, then count one bead at
a time. Always be precise about the times or how many hours you chant
Daimoku. The Seishi Sutra states that:
'If you gloss over the fact that you chant Daimoku, you will fall
down to hell by the sin of lying.'
The MOKUGENJI Sutra also states: 'Never surpass the mother's bead.'
"Mother's bead"here means THE BUDDHA. To surpass the Buddha means
arrogance and a lack of seeking spirit."
So now you understand why we use the beads. Please remember that
the Buddha designed them so that the most ignorant of King Haruri's
people could achieve correct practice and attitude because they could not
master the storehouse of Buddhist knowledge, which was too difficult for
them.
Now, if you will look at your beads, I will explain them to you.
The beads form a circle with two strands and three strands that
end in tassles. These sets of two and three strands are equal distance
and opposite from each other.
Where these strands are attached to the circle, there is a large
bead. These large beads are called the father's bead and the mother's
bead. Both represent the Buddha.
When the beads are used, this circle is closed by crossing them
once. This is done for one reason. When crossed, the circle is closed
so that the benefits of practicing and chanting Daimoku will not fall
through.
Between the father and mother's beads, there are 108 beads of the
same size that represent earthly desires. You will also find four smaller
beads. Two of them are opposite each other on either side, seven beads
away from the end with the two strands of beads attached to the figure.
The second set are 14 beads beyond the first set on either side.
These small beads represent the Four Leaders of the Bodhisattvas
of the Earth -- Jogyo, Jomyo, Muhengyo, and Anryugyo. These are the
four virtues of the Buddha's life:
1. The True Self of the Buddha
2. The Purity of the Buddha
3. The Boundless Eternity of the Buddha, and
4. The Happiness of the Buddha.
When we use beads during Gongyo, the end of the figure eight, with
the two strands, is place over the third finger of the left hand. The
end with the three strands, over the third finger of the right. They
lie on the outside of the hands, which are placed together with palms
and fingers touching each other.
Directly under the father's bead, is a smaller one. This small
bead represents the essential nature of the Law, which is absolute truth,
which has existed since the beginning of time.
All together, there are five strands of beads that lie outside
the hands when the palms are placed together with fingers touching.
The four strands of beads, which have four larger beads shaped
like jars, represent "ichinen sanzen" or three thousand worlds in a
momentary existence, and the mutual possession of all of them. These
beads, then, represent the true and essential nature of all life,
which is 3,000 worlds in a momentary existence, each one of which is
a perfect manifestation of cause and effect.
These beads, shaped like jars, are called "The Jars" in which
we store the benefits we have accumulated.
The remaining single strand of ten beads, are the counting beads.
If you use the beads to count Daimoku, you should count the beads
on only one side - going from the father's bead to the mother's bead
and returning back again along the same side. Each time you do this,
you should skip over the four Bodhisattva beads.
When you have done this once, you will have chanted 108 Daimoku.
Each time you finish going and returning in this fashion, you slide
one of the beads on the counting strand, attached to the mother bead,
forward. In this way, you can count 1,080 Daimoku using the ten beads
on the counting strand.
At this moment in my lecture, and to help you better understand the
significance of the four strands representing ichinen sanzen, I would
like to read part of the Hoben-pon that we recite for Gongyo.
As you perhaps know, Shakyamuni Buddha is addressing Sharihotsu,
his most intelligent and clever disciple. The Lotus Sutra reads:
"At this time the World-Honored One serenely arose from meditation
and addressed Sharihotsu.
'The wisdom of all Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable.
The portal to this wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to
enter. Neither men of learning nor men of realization are able to
comprehend it. The reason is this:
A Buddha has carried out immeasurable austerities under many
thousand myriads of kotis of Buddhas. Be has devoted himself to these
practices so valiantly and untiringly that his name is universally
known. He realized the profound, unparalleled law and preaches it
according to the people's capacity. Yet his intention is very difficult
to understand.
Sharihotsu, ever since I attain Buddhahood, I have widely expounded
my teaching through many stories of past relationships and many parables,
and by countless means have led the people to renounce all their attach-
ments.
The reason for this is that the Tathagata is possessed of both means
and perfect wisdom.
Sharihotsu, the wisdom of the Tathagata is all encompassing and
profound. His mercy is infinite and his teaching knows no bounds.
Endowed with power, fearlessness, concentration and freedom (from Karma
and desires) and the capacity to meditate, he dwells in the boundless and
wakes to the never before realized law."
And Shakyamuni goes on to say:
"Sharihotsu, I will say no more because that which the Buddha has
achieved is the rarest and most difficult law to comprehend. The true
entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between two
Buddhas."
Then, Shakyamuni ends with the Junyoze, which describes the manifest
reality of the Great Law as it exists throughout all time in boundless
space. He says:
"this reality consists of appearance, nature, entity, power,
influence, inherent cause, relation, latent effect, manifest effect,
and their consistency from beginning to end."
Now, if we are truly honest, we must admit that this is difficult.
The Buddha is explaining the manifestations of myoho-Renge-Kyo as they
have existed throughout the universe since before time began. We have
difficulty understanding the manifestation of Myoho-Renge-Kyo as it
manifests itself within a single day of our lives. But the representation
of this inscrutable mystery is what you hold in your hands each time you
chant Daimoku or do Gongyo. Only a Buddha could construct a representat-
ion of this profound mystery and truth using a simple circle of beads.
You should learn to appreciate this and care for and use your beads with
honest humility. They represent the Buddha. Treat them as you would the
Buddha.
So, now I have told you how they were used by King Haruri's people
because they would not master the storehouse of the Law. You may use
them the same way if you wish. To understand their meaning is to begin
to understand the profound truths of Buddhism and the correct expression
of gratitude to the Three Great Secret Laws and the Three Treasures.
But in truth, this is the Latter Day of the Law. Through the great
compassion and mercy of the True Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin, no one is
kept away from an enlightened life because he cannot master Buddhism as
it was practiced in the Former or Middle Day.
Because the Daishonin inscribed the Great Law and all of its mani-
festations as his life in the Dai-Gohonzon, anyone can enter the difficult
portals to Buddhahood through faith in a single profound teaching, Nam-
Myoho-Renge-Kyo. And this is achieved through the effort to fuse our
lives with the Gohonzon when we do Gongyo and chant Daimoku.
However, it is still necessary to keep track of the amount of
Daimoku we chant. The modern convenience of an accurate clock or watch
is sufficient to count the minutes and hours we chant Daimoku. Then you
are relieved of the pressure of remembering not to leap over the parent
beads, but to leap over the Bodhisattva beads, and to flick one counting
bead forward for each 108 Daimoku you chant.
In my service as a priest here in the U.S., I frequently noticed some
members frantically rubbed their beads. I never got the chance to ask
"Why?" I suspect that some time ago a member new to faith chanted hours
of Daimoku while continuously rubbing his beads, and he soon received a
great benefit. It is quite possible that he quickly told others and
confused Daimoku, bead-rubbing and benefit and it became an established
practice for some.
But in truth the benefit arose from his pure faith, rather than
from any rubbing of the beads. So the prayer beads are not used in
Nichiren Shoshu as they are in some Islamic sects, where they are called
"worry beads". But if you will properly place your palms together with
your fingers touching, and maintain this quiet posture, focusing on the
Gohonzon, the problem will not arise.
I also know that a new circle of beads is rather stiff and feels
uncomfortable. But continued use, or taking time to make them more
pliant will solve that problem, I think.
Finally, as you know we are followers of the Bodhisattvas of the
Earth. When a bodhisattva first resolves to embark on the Buddhist
practice, he makes four universal vows. They are:
1. To save innumerable living beings
2. To eradicate countless earthly desires
3. To master immeasurable Buddha's teachings, and
4. To attain enlightenment.
But Nichiren Daishonin also teaches us that:
"You must not only persevere yourself; you must teach others. Teach
others to the best of your ability, even if only a single sentence or
phrase
In "Rissho Ankoku Ron" the Daishonin also states:
"But it is not enough that I alone should accept and have faith in
your words. We must see to it that others as well are warned of their
errors."
As followers of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, we should practice
in accordance with this admonition -- which is to practice "Jigyo" and
"Keta" -- for oneself and others.
If we follow the Daishonin's guidance, we can attain immeasurable
benefit from the Gohonzon without fail. So I would like to stimulate
the advancement of your practice by telling you four ways to carry it
out.
Let's do a resounding Gongyo!
Let's chant as much as possible!
Let's attempt to do Shakubuku! And...
Let's study the Gosho!
These practices arise from your faith. The fundamental source of
benefit is the Gohonzon. Your sincere Gongyo, successful Shakubuku
and growing understanding of the Gosho are all due to your sincere faith
in the Gohonzon.
I will close my lecture, praying that, based upon the great compassion
of Nichiren Daishonin, you will advance your faith and endeavor to do
both "Jigyo" and "Keta".
Thank you very much.
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