Day 12 concludes Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City, and completes the third volume of the Lotus Sutra.
Having heard appeals from the Brahman-heavenly-kings of the 10 quarters and the sixteen princes, Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata turned the wheel of the Dharma:
The wheel of this teaching could not be turned by any other one in the world, be he a śramaṇa, a brāhmaṇa, a god, Māra or Brahman. The Buddha said, ‘This is suffering. This is the cause of suffering. This is extinction of suffering. This is the Way to extinction of suffering.’
Then he expounded the teaching of the twelve causes, saying, ‘Ignorance causes predisposition. Predisposition causes consciousness. Consciousness causes name-and-form. Name-and-form causes the six sense organs. The six sense organs cause impression. Impression causes feeling. Feeling causes craving. Craving causes grasping. Grasping causes existence. Existence causes birth. Birth causes aging-and-death, grief, sorrow, suffering and lamentation. When ignorance is eliminated, predisposition is eliminated. When predisposition is eliminated, consciousness is eliminated. When consciousness is eliminated, name-and-form is eliminated. When name-and-form is eliminated, the six sense organs are eliminated. When the six sense organs are eliminated, impression is eliminated. When impression is eliminated, feeling is eliminated. When feeling is eliminated, craving is eliminated. When craving is eliminated, grasping is eliminated. When grasping is eliminated, existence is eliminated. When existence is eliminated, birth is eliminated. When birth is eliminated, aging-and-death, grief, sorrow, suffering and lamentation are eliminated.’
But the 16 princes wanted more:
They said to the Buddha simultaneously, ‘World-Honored One! All these Śrāvakas of great virtue, many thousands of billions in number, have already done [what they should do]. World-Honored One! Expound to us the teaching of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi! If we hear that teaching, we will study and practice it. World-Honored One! We wish to have the insight of the Tathāgata. You know what we have deep in our minds.’
Twenty thousand kalpas later, the Buddha “expounded to the four kinds of devotees the sūtra of the Great Vehicle called the ‘Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas.’” The Buddha then retired to a quiet place for
When the Buddha completed the expounding of this sūtra, the sixteen śrāmaṇeras kept, recited and understood this sūtra in order to attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. The sixteen śrāmaṇeras, [who were] Bodhisattvas, received this sūtra by faith. Some Śrāvakas understood it by faith, but the other Śrāvakas and other living beings, thousands of billions in number, doubted it.
The Buddha then practised dhyāna-concentration for eighty-four thousand kalpas, while the 16 princes expounded the Lotus Sutra to the four kinds of devotees.
At this point, it might be helpful to recall what Śākyamuni said at the end of the previous chapter:
Now I will tell you
About my previous existence
And also about yours.
All of you, listen attentively!
Each of the śrāmaṇera princes eventually became Buddhas. “[T]he sixteenth śrāmaṇera is I, Sakyamuni Buddha. I attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi in this Sahā-World.”
Those living beings as many as there are sands in the River Ganges, whom I taught [when I was a śrāmaṇera], included you bhikṣus and those who will be reborn as my disciples in Śrāvakahood after my extinction.
And in gāthās:
I was one of the sixteen śrāmaṇeras.
You were among those to whom I expounded the Dharma.
Therefore, I now lead you with expedients
To the wisdom of the Buddha.Because I taught you in my previous existence,
I expound the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
In order to lead you into the Way to Buddhahood.
Think it over! Do not be surprised! Do not be afraid!
The Buddhas expound the teaching of the Three Vehicles
Only as an expedient.
There is only the One Buddha-Vehicle.
The two [vehicles] were taught only as resting places.