Mokuren

This month, we will discuss a person called Mokuren, (Sanskrit name: Maudgalyayana) who saved his mother from the world of Hunger. Mokuren's real name is Daimoku Kenren but Mokuren is his nick-name. Mokuren was born into a Brahman family and lived in central India in a country called Magadha. Mokuren, together with his close friend Sharihotsu, later became a disciple of Sanjaya, one of the six masters of the non-Buddhist teachings. Sanjaya had had doubts about the teachings of Buddhism, but one day, when Sharihotsu heard the Buddha teaching the Law of cause and effect, he was certain that these were the true teachings and together with Mokuren, left his master Sanjaya and joined two hundred and fifty other people in becoming Shakyamuni Buddha's disciples.

Sharihotsu and Mokuren worked very hard to carry out their Buddhist austerities. Amongst Shakyamuni's ten most important disciples, Sharihotsu eventually became known as the wisest person, and Mokuren became the disciple with the greatest super- natural powers.

Mokuren gained the level of arhat within the Hinayana teachings and was extremely skillful in his supernatural powers. One day, he began to look for his mother, Jodainyo, who had passed away.

No matter how hard he looked, he could not find her in the Worlds of Heaven or Humanity. However, his mother was suffer- ing in the world of Hunger. Mokuren was shocked. He cried out, "Mother, it's me! Its your son, Mokuren. What's happened to you, mother?"

Mokuren's mother was extremely hungry because she hadn't eaten or drunk anything in a long time. His mother was in pain from hunger and had become very skinny. Her face had swollen and become round, her arms and legs were thin as toothpicks, and her stomach was swollen like a large balloon. She had no flesh and all of her bones were plainly visible, even her skin was covered with goose bumps. She no longer seemed human at all. She then turned towards her son Mokuren and pleaded, "Please give me food!" As she cried out, she opened her mouth and put her hands together in prayer.

Upon seeing his mother, Mokuren's heart was filled with great pity. However, he pulled himself together and using his special supernat- ural powers, sent rice balls to his mother. His mother was extremely overjoyed and quickly took the riceballs, taking one in her left hand and hiding it behind her back while taking the other with her right hand and put it into her mouth. At that time, a strange thing occurred. The rice ball suddenly changed into a flame and the mother's body soon became wrapped in fire. Her whole body began to burn. Mokuren hurriedly ran to get some water and throw it on his mother, but when he did the water changed into fuel. The mother was only able to cry as she screamed out in pain. Realizing that his supernatural powers could not help, Mokuren hurried off to find Shakyamuni to receive his instruction.

Shakyamuni Buddha then said, "Mokuren, after your mother's death, she fell into the path of hunger because of her greed. Your mother always persisted in wanting to have material things. She only thought of herself, and because she never cared about others, she is now receiving her punishment. This is called "Jigo-Jitoku" which means that one creates one's own karma and one's own benefits. There is nothing that you can do to save her. If you want to help her, the only thing to do is to go to the Ango (this was a building where priests would go to perform their Buddhist austerities during the summer rainy season in India) on July fifteenth. At that time there will be many priests. Please make offerings of one hundred foods and beverages (rice, fruit, vegetables, sweets, water, etc.) to these sacred priests."

Mokuren immediately did what the Buddha had instructed him to do. Through the benefits of following the Buddha's teachings, not only did he save his mother from the sufferings of the world of Hunger, but many other people too.

Afterwards, Mokuren came to believe in the Lotus Sutra, and then he, himself became a Buddha.

Nichiren Daishonin taught, "Since the heart and body of Mokuren is the same as the heart and body of his mother and father, then his parents will without a doubt also attain enlightenment." Let's all do our best to chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo and be really good sons and daughters to our parents.

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