Suri Handoku

The priests of Nichiren Shoshu explain the story of Suri Handoku as follows:

This tale from the Gosho is about Surihandoku Sonja (honorable person), a disciple of Shakyamuni, and one of the sixteen arhats. The details of Surihandoku's life are taught in the second chapter of the Hoku Hiyu Sutra and the 31st chapter of the Konponsetsu Issai Ububinaya Sutra.

Two boys:

Once upon a time, there were two boys, sons of a Brahman, who lived in Sharavati in India. The elder brother was called Makahandoku and was very clever. The younger brother, named Surihandoku, was so very dull that he could not even remember his name. Therefore, he hung a board from his neck with his name on it. So people in society began calling him, "Fool Handoku" or "Stupid Surihandoku." Before long, their parents passed away and Makahandoku and Surihandoku were left alone. These brothers got along very well and stayed together all the time. Later, they became disciples of Shakyamuni. The elder brother, Makahandoku, eliminated all kinds of desires and attained the state of arhat. Yet, for the younger brother, Surihandoku, it would not be that easy.

A single Verse

Therefore Makahandoku encouraged Surihandoku to memorize a single verse:

"Guard your speech, govern your mind, do not do wrong in deed. One who practices in this way will surely attain emancipation."

This verse means one should not make any bad causes in body, words and mind. One should maintain a correct feeling and detach from unwise sufferings.

Surihandoku desperately tried to memorize this single verse yet he could not after three years of trying. Discouraged, that his brother was neither able to memorize a verse nor practice Buddhism in the normal way, Makahandoku, hardening his heart against pity, told his younger brother, "You are stupid. You are the world's most stupid person. What in the world will happen even if you become a priest! It is absolutely useless. So just leave here right now." Surihandoku cried loudly when he was thrown out. Just then, Shakyamuni passed by. Shakyamuni asked Surihandoku why he was crying. Surihandoku said,

"Since I was born, I have been stupid and even now, I can not memorize even a single verse. I am crying because my elder brother has abandoned me."

Listening to Surihandoku, Shakyamuni did not reprove him. Rather, Shakyamuni consoled Surihandoku that to forget things is 'trustworthy.' People easily forget important things but remember too many worthless things. According to circumstances, it is important to forget things.

Then Shakyamuni preached to Surihandoku,

"When a foolish man declares himself foolish, we call him a wise man. When a foolish man recklessly declares himself wise, we call him foolish."

Surihandoku was called a "wise man" for the first time from none other than the Buddha! Then Shakyamuni gave Surihandoku two verses to memorize:

"I sweep off the dust, I remove the dirt."

Yet,Surihandoku could not memorize even these two verses. Looking at Surihandoku, Shakyamuni recognized how gravely deep were Surihandoku's sins from his past lifetime. In order for Surihandoku to eradicate these sins, Shakyamuni gave Surihandoku one practice. It was to wipe off the dirt and clean all the priests' footwear every day. Shakyamuni told him to recite,

"I sweep off the dust. I remove the dirt,"

over and over as he cleaned the priests' footwear.

As a matter of course, all the other disciples of Shakyamuni memorized these two verses in one day. Moreover everybody who practiced Buddhism in Sharavati memorized these two verses. However, it was rather difficult for Surihandoku to memorize these two short verses.

Even though it may have been humiliating to clean many priests' footwear every day, Surihandoku was very obedient, and did not hate to clean. He strived to practice as he recited,

"I sweep off the dust. I remove the dirt."

Then Surihandoku's sins from his past life were gradually eradicated, and one day he attained enlightenment. The "dust" or "dirt" is not simply the dust or dirt on footwear; it is the dust or dirt in the human mind. Then what is the dust or dirt in the human mind? They are three poisons of greed, anger and stupidity. Greed is the mind of devouring, selfishness and desire. Anger is the mind of rage, and stupidity is the mind of foolishness and egotism. Surihandoku became enlightened to the fact that the important thing is to sweep off and remove these three kinds of dust and dirt. Surihandoku immediately went to Shakyamuni and reported this to him. Upon hearing this, Shakyamuni was so very happy that he finally permitted Surihandoku the state of arhat. Shakyamuni then ordered Surihandoku to preach for the bikunis. A bikuni is a female priest or nun. Among Shakyamuni's disciples there were 500 bikunis and some of the best disciples of Shakyamuni rotated in giving sermons and teaching them.

Amongst the bikunis, Surihandoku was known as a "joke" so when they heard this news, their arrogant nature emerged. They thought: "I am senior to him," or "I know more about Buddhism than he," or "Foolish Handoku couldn't possibly teach me anything." One of the bikunis suggested, "Let's humiliate and laugh at stupid Handoku by saying, 'I sweep off the dust, I remove the dirt' before he starts his sermon tomorrow." Then everybody agreed.

A wise Sermon

The next day, Surihandoku arrived. All 500 bikunis had grins on their faces, thinking,

"I am going to humiliate him now."

After Handoku Sonja washed his hands and mouth, he sat on the platform. This was his very first sermon and his intensions and mannerism were so incredibly sincere, that suddenly, all 500 bikunis who planned to humiliate Surihandoku could not even open their mouths. On the contrary, they started to shed big drops of tears, ashamed of their impure and conceited hearts.

Handoku Sonja, who had no idea about the 500 bikunis' thoughts, preached the two verses of, "I sweep off the dust, I remove the dirt." He taught that the true way to practice Buddhism is not to have the three poisons of greed, anger and stupidity in one's mind. For Handoku Sonja, this was the first lecture he ever conducted in his life. Therefore, he was not proficient nor was it something new to the bikunis. Yet, because Handoku Sonja preached from the bottom of his heart, people felt as if Shakyamuni were preaching. Moreover, all the bikunis who previously could not eliminate their earthly desires were instantly able to do so; not from the words of a respectful priest, but from a sermon given by Handoku Sonja. All 500 bikunis attained the state of arhat, and thereafter adored Handoku Sonja from bottom of their hearts.

One time when Shakyamuni and his disciples gathered, the disciples asked about Handoku Sonja.

"Handoku Sonja seemed to be the most stupid person in the world - he could not even remember his name. However, once he attained enlightenment, he immediately became one of the best disciples, like Shariputra. What kind of karma does he have?"

Why Suri Handoku had his limitations

Shakyamuni answered as follows,Once upon a time, there lived a Buddha called Kashohabutsu, who had 20 thousand disciples. At that time, Handoku Sonja was the best and cleverest disciple of this Buddha. Handoku Sonja memorized all the teachings and he was respected as a great monk by everybody.

However he gradually developed an arrogant nature and started to make a fool of the other disciples. He became selfish and stopped preaching the Law. In other words, he thought, "I am clever and others are foolish. I do not want to preach for such foolish people." Therefore he committed two sins - the sin of arrogance, that one will not preach for others, and the sin of selfishness. Then he passed away.

In his next lifetime, he was born when the Buddha did not exist. Of course there was no Buddhism. During this lifetime, Handoku Sonja got work killing wild boars and selling their meat and skin to make a living. He killed innumerable wild boars, but did not even manifest a feeling of pity. Rather, he only intended to earn more money. One day when he was drowning in the water, an engaku (man of realization) rescued him. Then Handoku Sonja, thinking to repay this kindness, went to where the engaku lived. However there were 500 engakus and he could not remember which one of them rescued him. Therefore, he repaid his gratitude by serving all 500 engakus. He then passed away and was able to be reborn at this present time. When he was a great monk, he despised others and created the sin of not preaching for others and the sin of killing beasts. Because of these sins that he created in the past, he was born as a dull-witted person so that he could not even remember his name. Therefore, you should never be unwilling to preach Buddhism. You should preach for people with a pure mind. Moreover, you should have the heart of pity for all the living beings."

Suri-Handoku's arms

Shakyamuni, wanting everybody in the society to know that Handoku Sonja had eradicated his past sins and become a great priest in this lifetime, went to the castle of Hashinokuo (Prasenajit) with Handoku Sonja and 300 disciples as attendants. At this castle, there was a gatekeeper. This gatekeeper let Shakyamuni and his 300 disciples into the castle. However, when he saw Handoku Sonja, he made a fool of him and did not let him in the castle.Handoku Sonja was left alone outside the gate and he thought, "I came to serve Shakyamuni today, but I am separated from him. If this is so, I will serve Shakyamuni from out here." Then he started to remember Shakyamuni's form and began serving him as if he was there.

A gatekeeper who was watching Handoku Sonja thought,

"Stupid Handoku has started doing strange things again."

At this time, a significant thing happened inside the castle. When Shakyamuni got to the castle, a basin full of water approached Shakyamuni in the air. When one looked closely, one saw that this basin was attached to human arms. Next, a glass of water and a clean towel approached Shakyamuni in the air. Shakyamuni used these, too, washing his hands and mouth as a matter of course. Hashinokuo, watching all these things, was very surprised. Thus, he asked Shakyamuni,

"What are all these things? Who's arms are these?"

Shakyamuni said, "These arms are my disciple, Surihandoku's arms. I brought him here to have him serve me today. However, because he was criticized by the gatekeeper, he now is outside the gate. And he is serving me from outside the gate. No matter how far apart Surihandoku and I are, because our hearts are acquainted, we can do such a thing."

Hashinokuo hurriedly invited Handoku Sonja in the castle. Then he asked again, "Excuse me Shakyamuni, from what I heard, Surihandoku is so very dull that he could not memorize even a single verse after three years and he barely memorized two verses just recently. How on the earth did he become such a respectable priest?" To this question, Shakyamuni replied, "No matter how many sutras one memorizes, it is much more noble to practice the sutras. No matter how many sutras one might memorize, if one does not understand them in one's heart, there exists no benefit. Even if only one sutra, if one correctly understands and practices it, there exists great benefit."

By listening to this, all 300 disciples were able to attain the state of arhat. Moreover, the king, queen, prince and ministers were very happy, and all the people in the country never again called Handoku Sonja, "Stupid Handoku," but admired him as, "Shakyamuni's disciple, one of the sixteen arhats, respectful Surihandoku Sonja." Later, when Shakyamuni preached the "Lotus Sutra," Handoku Sonja had no doubt in the Lotus Sutra and believed in it. Because of the great benefit of honestly believing in the Lotus Sutra, Surihandoku received the kibetsu (the Buddha's promise of his disciple's enlightenment in the future) of Fumyo (Universal Brightness) Nyorai (Buddha).

Incidentally, around the grave of Handoku Sonja, unusual grasses grew. It was said that one who eats this grass will forget things. Therefore, people said Handoku Sonja appeared here as grasses. Because when Handoku Sonja was still young he carried his name, people named this grass "Myoga" (Japanese ginger). Myo of Myoga, in Chinese characters is written with the crown part of the character- "grass," and "name" under it. Ga of Myoga is written "carry." This "Myoga" relates to "Myoga" (divine protection) meaning benefit of the Buddha. We should learn from Handoku Sonja about benefit of the Buddha who indicated the great benefit of the Lotus Sutra, and practice with pure faith.

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