Ideal Bodhisattva Practice

It is said that the dirtier the pond from which it grows, the more beautifully a lotus blooms. The flower is itself pure and unaffected by the mud from which it has sprung. The Sutra tells us that the method of Bodhisattva-practice should be similar to that of a lotus flower. It can be said that “lotus flower,” which is part of the title (Daimoku) of the Lotus Sutra (“The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law”), symbolizes this ideal Bodhisattva practice.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra