Chapter 8
The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Five Hundred Disciples

SUMMARIES

Purna and the five hundred congregations were very pleased

to hear the Buddha Sakyamuni's logical and consistent teachings, stories of his and his disciples' previous lives, parables and the Assurance of Future Buddhahood of these disciples. They felt like dancing with joy.

Upon seeing Purna's joyful reaction, the Buddha also taught how Purna had practiced and preached the Lotus Sutra to others during his previous lives. Then the Buddha gave Assurance of Future Buddhahood to Purna, Kaundinya Bhiksu and other five hundred arhats.

Meanwhile, the five hundred arhats rejoiced at the Buddha's Assurance of their Future Buddhahood and expressed their gratitude by telling a parable of "The Gem Fastened Inside the Garment."

"Purna was the most excellent expander of the Dharma under the seven Buddhas. He is the same under me. He will be the same under the Future Buddhas of this Kalpa of Sages. He will protect the teachings of those Buddhas and help them propagate their teachings." (P.154, LL.20-24)

When one becomes a Buddha, he can see the lives of all beings throughout the past, present and Future. Our existence does not span only the present lifetime. We have had past lives. We will have Future lives. Our existence is eternal. Therefore what we are doing now will affect us in our Future lives.

"He (Purna) will be called Dharma-Brightness, the Tathagata" (P.154, L.32):

In order that Purna be called the Dharma-Brightness Tathagata, there is an attached condition that follows: He will always make efforts to teach all living beings strenuously.

Even though we come to the Nichiren Buddhist Temple for ten or twenty years, it is not such a simple matter to attain Buddhahood. However, as we continue to come to the temple and keep up with our faith, it is certain we are getting closer towards reaching Nirvana - step by step.

"Gods and men will be able to see each other." (P.155, L.9):

When people in the human realm and the deities in the heavenly realm can communicate with each other, this world will always be peaceful and joyful. When we chant the Odaimoku, we can sometimes communicate to the deities in the heavenly realm. This is called kannno-doko, or communication between the Buddha and human beings.

"There will be no evil region nor women." (P.155, L.9):

Women are often looked down even today in some parts of the world. Even within the United States of America, women only recently received the right to vote after the World War I.

In Mahayana Buddhism, men and women are equal because everyone has the Buddha-seed. We should interpret the above quotation in the Lotus Sutra as illustrating there is no difference between men and women to become Buddhas.

"The living beings of that world will be born without any medium." (P.155, L. 10):

This signifies that they will be reborn not through the medium of a mother or an egg or moisture but by their own karma or spiritual wisdom. When we change our thought, we can be reborn as a different person not physically, but spiritually.

"They will emit light from their bodies." (P.155, L.12):

We emit light from our bodies. It is called an aura. Light surely affects our surroundings, such as when a noble or a cheerful person enters a room, everyone in the room becomes cheerful.

"They will fly about at will." (P.155, L.13):

This means that when we attain Buddhahood, we will be free like the wind because there will be no obstruction for us to attach ourselves to. "It does not matter that I live in a small house or a large house."

"They will feed on two things: the delight in the Dharma, and the delight in dhyana." (P.155, L.15):

The more closer to Nirvana we become, the more we delight in reading and chanting the sutra while enjoying keeping calm. Although we offer food at the altar, the best offering to all the Buddhas, St. Nichiren and our ancestors is to chant the Lotus Sutra and its title, "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo." We should keep a Butsudan, or a family altar, in a quiet room within our homes if we can.

"Kaundinya Bhiksu become a Buddha called Universal-Bright Tathagata. ... The five hundred arhats become Buddhas also called universal-Brightness." (P. 159, 2nd Paragraph):

This is the highlight of Chapter 8 in which Pruna, Kaunidnya and the five hundred arhats received Assurance of Future Buddhahood. However, the more important message throughout this Chapter is the phrase that follows the above quotation, "All the other Sravakas also will become Buddha. Tell this to the Sravakas." (P. 160, Last two lines.) This signifies that not only the Sravakas who attended the assembly at the Vulture Peak but also the five thousand Sravakas who have left the Buddha in Chapter 2 are also able to receive the Assurance of Buddhahood from Kasyapa. This also includes those who live in the Period of the Last Law.

Thereupon the five hundred Arhats express their joyfulness with --

Chapter 8 part II
                   (Explanation of the Parable in the Jacket)