Reverse relationship

 
reverse relationship
逆縁 (Jpn gyaku-en)

    Another term for poison-drum relationship. Also translated as reverse relation, relationship of rejection, or connection through rejection. A bond formed with the correct teaching by opposing or slandering it. When the correct teaching is preached to the people, some may reject and slander it and fall into hell as a consequence. Because of the relationship formed with the correct teaching in the process, however, they will eventually attain Buddhahood. That is, the act of rejecting and slandering the correct teaching is a cause to establish a connection with it and receive the seeds of Buddhahood. Miao-lo's (711-782) work The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra" says: "Even if one reviles the correct teaching and falls into the evil paths, one can create causes for the eventual attainment of benefit. It is like the case of a person who falls to the ground, but who then pushes himself up from the ground and rises to his feet again. Thus, even though one may slander the correct teaching, one will eventually be saved from the evil paths." The reverse relationship contrasts with a relationship of acceptance ( Jpn jun-en), which is formed by those who put their faith in the correct teaching on hearing about it, without slandering or opposing it.

See also poison-drum relationship.

Source

www.sgilibrary.org [[Category:]]