In this second part of the 19th chapter, we will study the three benefits of sowing, maturing and harvesting from the angles of the ephemeral doctrine and the original doctrine of the Lotus Sutra, the purpose of the Tendai's teaching and, finally, from the angle of the depth of the sentences in the chapter Life Span of the Lotus Sutra, unique to Nichiren Daishōnin.

In short, the comparison between sowing and harvesting is a doctrinal aspect based on the notion of observing the heart, when studying Buddhism. However, it is also necessary to know about sowing and harvesting. In fact, sowing and harvesting refer to the three benefits of sowing, ripening and reaping. They represent the entirety, from beginning to end, of the Buddha's teaching and the successive stages in the process of his education of his disciples. In the Treatise on the Honzon of Heart Observation, Nichiren Daishōnin writes:

"Even though these schools claim that their teachings are profound, they still do not discuss sowing, maturing and harvesting, which is similar to reducing the body to ashes and annihilating the wisdom (of the Small Vehicle)."

Or again, in the Eye-opening Treatise:

"With regard to the significance of sowing, maturing and harvesting, none of the Shingon or Flowering Ornament sutras even mentions their names, let alone their meaning".

Or again, in the Letter to Akimoto:

"The doctrines of sowing, ripening and harvesting represent the essential heart of the Lotus Sutra.

Thus, the three benefits of sowing, maturing and harvesting are an important doctrine within Nichiren Daishōnin's teaching. In his Exegesis of the Eye-Opening Treatise, Nichikan Shōnin establishes their relationship.

"Question: could you explain the denominations "sowing, maturing and harvesting"?

Answer: As I see it, sowing refers to the sowing of the seed, which is the root cause of the wondrous path. Maturation refers to the process of bringing this planted seed to full development, throughout its evolution. As for the harvest, it refers to final emancipation, to leaving the cycle of life and death to reach the other shore, that of Nirvana".

Nichiren Daishōnin clarifies the relationship between these three benefits in his Treatise on the Reversal and Confirmation that the Buddhas of the three phases see fit to carry out within the doctrinal aspect of the teachings, in which he sets out the causality of the three benefits.

"When the Thus-Comee Shakya, before the eons of five hundred grains of dust had passed, was still an ordinary man, he realized that his body was composed of earth, water, fire, wind and space, and immediately awakened. Thereafter, in order to instruct others, world after world and time after time, he appeared to the world and realized the Way; life after life and place after place, he showed the eight aspects of a Buddha's life, leading beings to see and understand that he had been born in a king's palace and had attained enlightenment under a tree, as if he had just become a Buddha for the first time. For over forty years, he thus established the teaching of expedient means to lead beings. But after that, he abandoned the various teachings of the sutras and frankly expounded the principle of sowing the Thus-coming to the five wisdoms of Myōhōrengekyō" [i].

Now we can divide these three benefits into three benefits of the ephemeral doctrine, the original doctrine and the profound of phrases.

This gives us:

1) The three benefits of the ephemeral doctrine

In the very distant past, called the past of the three thousand grains of aeon dust, during the time of the Buddha Great-Power-Victor-in-Wisdom, his sixteen princes preached the Lotus Sutra, enabling all beings to receive the seeding and link up with the Lotus Sutra. Life after life, generation after generation, these sixteen princes converted and guided people. The latter were reborn in India at the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, and the seed of Buddhahood they had been sown with at the time of Buddha Great-Power-Victor in wisdom ripened as they listened to the preaching of the sutras preceding the Lotus Sutra, and they achieved liberation through the benefit of the harvest that occurred during the preaching of the main part of the ephemeral doctrine, consisting of the eight chapters from the 2nd, the Means, to the 9th, the Annunciation to apprentices and those who no longer need to learn.

2) The three benefits of the original doctrine

The moment when, at the very beginning of the remote and extended origin (kuon ganjo), the fundamental Buddha planted the seed of buddhahood in the spiritual field of beings constitutes the benefit of sowing. The period from that moment to the teaching of today's ephemeral Lotus Doctrine, via the teaching of the Lotus Sutra by the Buddha's sixteen Great-Power-Victor-in-Wisdom princes in the past of three thousand eon-dust grains, constitutes the benefit of maturation. The liberation obtained by preaching the main part of the original doctrine of the Lotus sutra, consisting of one chapter and two halves (2nd half of the 15th chapter, 16th chapter and 1st half of the 17th chapter), constitutes the benefit of harvest.

3) The three benefits of sentence depth

The current End of Dharma period is made up of beings originally devoid of goodness (Hon mi u zen - 本未有善), as they have never received the seed of Buddhahood, and have no connection with the Buddha. Beings who received the seeding in the infinite past all achieved liberation during Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime or in the two millennia of Dharma Rectitude and Semblance that followed his extinction. Those who did not achieve liberation during these periods, however, find themselves in the Dharma's End with the beings originally devoid of goodness. In order to enable all these beings to achieve liberation during the eternity of the End of the Dharma, the Fundamental Buddha appears to seed their spiritual field with the Nam Myōhōrengekyō buried deep in the sentences of the Life Span chapter (he reproduces the seeding of the infinite past). This is called seeding in the End of Dharma. Those who follow the teaching of the fundamental Buddha of the End of the Dharma, i.e. our founder Nichiren Daishōnin, receive the three benefits of sowing, maturing and harvesting through the single benefit of sowing. More precisely, faith is the sowing, the recitation of Nam Myōhōrengekyō is the benefit of maturation and perfect union with the Honzon is the benefit of harvest.

But what's deep inside the sentences?

Nichiren Daishōnin himself says in the Eye-opening Treatise, as we have already seen in chapter 15 (From Tendai to Nichiren):

"The doctrine of One Thought Three Thousand, only in the Lotus Sutra, in the chapter Duration of Life, deep in the sentences of the original doctrine, is hidden and buried".

In his Treatise on What is Buried and Hidden Deep in the Sentences, Nichikan Shōnin takes up the passage from the Means chapter we've already seen in chapter 3 (The Buddha's wisdom vs. the wisdom of ordinary humans):

"The Revered Awakened Ones of the world appear to the world only for the cause and condition of a single great work (...) It is because the Revered Awakened Ones of the world want to open beings to the wisdom and vision of the Awakened Ones and help them acquire purity that they appear to the world. It's because they want to show beings the wisdom and vision of the Awakened One that they appear to the world. They appear in the world because they want beings to understand the wisdom and vision of the Awakened One. They appear in the world because they want to bring beings into the wisdom and vision of the Awakened One".

Before turning to the meaning Nichikan Shōnin gives to the expression "Unique great work", here's how Zhiyi, the great Tendai master, comments on the expression "the cause and condition of a unique great work" in this passage, in his treatise The Words and Phrases of the Lotus:

"Unique designates nothing other than the true aspect; there are not five, there are not three, there are not seven, there are not nine, therefore, it is qualified as unique. Its nature is so vast and extensive that it is wider than five, three, seven or nine. That's why it's called "great". As for the reason why all Buddhas appear in the world, we call it "work". As beings are predisposed, they seek the Buddha. This is called the "cause". The Buddha, sensing this aspiration, responds to it. This is called the "condition". This is the primary reason why Buddhas appear in this world.

Now here's Nichikan Shōnin's explanation:

"A Buddha appears in this world for one purpose only: to reveal the Lotus Sutra. The inhabitants of this earth are aware of this, but the reason for this appearance remains obscure to them. Could you enlighten me as to the motives behind this single purpose?"

"I'll tell you that it's because, within the very statements of this sutra, lie buried and concealed the three great secret Dharmas. How can this be discerned?"

"Unique" refers to the Gohonzon of the original doctrine. Indeed, it is the best of all the Janbudvipa. There are not two, nor three in the whole Janbudvipa, which is why he is unique.

"Great" refers to the great Sanctuary (kaidan) of the original doctrine. Since ancient times, this word has been read as "excellent", because in the whole of Janbudvipa, there are not two, there are not three. Or, because it must be built in the excellent place.

"Work" refers to the Daimoku of the original doctrine. What is not theory is called "practice", because it is not the theoretical practice of Tendai. On the other hand, when this practice is effective, we speak of "work" (...). Just as when the sky is clear, the earth is luminous, if we understand this, the purpose of our Founder's coming into this world appears as obvious as when we look at the palm of our own hand".

The Treatise on the Adoption of the Essence of the Lotus, states: "More than two thousand two hundred years after the extinction of the thus-coming, what are the secret Dharmas that Nāgārjuna, Vasubandhu, Tendai and Dengyō left unfinished? Answer: they are the Honzon, the Sanctuary and the Daimoku of the original doctrine".

Question: What does this sentence mean?

Answer: This is the great work buried and concealed in the depths of phrases, the secret Dharma not propagated in the periods of Rectitude and Semblance, the original purpose of our Founder Nichiren's coming into this world. This is the true substance of seeding in the Dharma's End, nothing less than the quintessence of our school. This is why the masters of previous generations did not express it. Even more so, how could the uneducated and untalented understand it?

However, I can't stop here and must consider a full explanation. I'll show you in broad outline".

From here, Nichikan Shōnin goes on to give a detailed explanation of the three great esoteric Dharmas, which I'll leave for another time.