Rissho Ankoku Ron-Part 3
The guest thereupon flushed with
anger and said:
"Emperor Ming of the Later Han dynasty, having comprehended the significance of his dream of a golden man, welcomed the teachings of Buddhism brought to China by missionaries leading white horses. Prince Shotoku, having punished Mononobe no Moriya for his opposition to Buddhism, proceeded to construct temples and pagodas, in Japan. Since that time, from the supreme ruler down to the numberless masses, people have worshipped the Buddhist statues, and devoted their attention to the scriptures. As a result, in the monasteries of Mount Hiei and of the southern capital at Nara, at the great temples of Onjo-ji and To-ji, throughout the land within the four seas, in the five areas adjacent to the capital and the seven outlying regions, Buddhist scriptures have been ranged like stars in the sky and halls of worship have spread over the land like clouds. Those who belong to the lineage of Shariputra meditate on the moon atop Eagle Peak, while those who adhere to the traditions of Hakenayasha transmit the teachings of Mount Kukkutapada.
How, then, can anyone say that the doctrines of Shakyamuni are despised or that the three treasures of Buddhism are neglected? If there is evidence to support such a contention, I would like to hear all the facts!
The host, anxious to clarify his words, replied:
“To be sure, Buddha halls stand rooftop to rooftop and sutra storehouses are ranged eave to eave. Priests are as numerous as bamboo plants and rushes, monks as common as rice and hemp seedlings. The temples and priests have been honored from centuries past, and every day respect is paint them anew. But the monks and priests today are fawning and devious, and they confuse the people and lead them astray. The ruler and his ministers lack understanding and fail to distinguish between truth and heresy.
The Ninno Sutra, for example, says: “Evil monks, hoping to gain fame and profit, in many cases appear before the ruler, the heir apparent or the other princes and take it upon themselves to preach doctrines that lead to the violation of the Buddhist Law and the destruction of the nation. The rulers, failing to perceive the truth of the situation, listen to and put faith in such doctrines, and proceed to create regulations that are perverse in nature and do not accord with the rules of Buddhist discipline, In this way they bring about the destruction of Buddhism and of the nation.”
The Nirvana Sutra states: “Bodhisattvas, have no fear in your hearts because of such thins as wild elephants. But evil friends-they are what you should fear! If you are killed by a wild elephant, you will not fall into any of the three evil paths. But if evil friends lead you to your death, you are certain to fall into one of them!”
The Lotus Sutra says: “There will be monks in that evil age with perverse views and hearts that are fawning and crooked who will say they have attained what they have not attained, being proud and boastful in heart. Or there will be forest-dwelling monks wearing clothing of patched rags and living in retirement who will claim they are practicing the true Way, despising and looking down on the rest of mankind. Greedy for profit and nourishment, they will preach the Dharma to white-robed laymen and will be respected and revered by the world as though they were arhats who possess the six supernatural powers… Constantly they will go about among the populace, seeking in this way to slander us. They will address the rulers, high ministers, Brahmans and great patrons of Buddhism as well as the other monks, slandering and speaking evil of us, saying, “These are men of perverted views who preach the doctrines of heretical sects!”…In a muddied kalpa, in an evil age there will be many different things to fear. Demons will take possession of others and through them curse, revile and heap shame on us… The evil monks of the muddied age, failing to understand the Buddha’s expedient means, how he preaches the Dharma in accord with what is appropriate, will confront us with foul language and angry frowns; again and again we will be banished.
In the Nirvana Sutra, the Buddha says: "After I have passed away and countless hundreds of years have gone by, all the sages of the four stages will also have passed away. After the Former Day of the Law has ended and the Middle Day of the Law has begun, there will be monks who will give the appearance of abiding by the rules of monastic discipline, but they will scarcely ever read or recite the sutras, and instead will crave all kinds of food and drink to nourish their bodies. Though they war the robes of a monk, they will go about searching for alms like so many huntsmen, spying sharply and stalking softly. They will be like a cat on the prowl for mice. And constantly they will reiterate these words: ‘I have attained the state of arhat!’ Outwardly they will seem to be wise and good, but within they will harbor greed and jealousy. And when they are asked to preach the Dharma, they will conceal it, like Brahmans who have taken a vow of silence. They are not true monks - they merely have the appearance of monks. Consumed by their erroneous views, they slander the True Law.
When we look at the world in the light of these passages of scripture, we see that the situation is just as they describe it. If we do not admonish the evil monks, how can we hope to do good?
Rissho Ankoku Ron-Fourth Question