QUESTION: The Sūtra of the Pure Land of Mystic Glorification states that it is “supreme of all the Buddhist scriptures.” The Great Cloud Sūtra claims to be the Wheel-turning Noble King of sūtras whereas the Sūtra of the Golden Splendor says of itself to be the king of sūtras. From these statements we can see that it is customary for Mahāyāna sūtras to claim they are supreme. How can you then say from only one passage in the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning that it is superior to all those sūtras preached in the forty years or so before it?
ANSWER: When Lord Śākyamuni Buddha preaches in each sūtra that it is the supreme sūtra, we cannot distinguish between Mahāyāna and Hinayāna or between provisional and true sūtras. If sectarian people merely talk about the differences among the various sūtras and compare the profundity of their doctrines when no actual differences exist, it will not only be the source of controversy but also cause the evil karma of slandering the True Dharma.
When those sūtras preached during the forty-two years of the pre-Lotus period claim that they are the prime sūtras, however, what they are compared with is not the definitive. Some sūtras claim to be supreme in comparison to Hinayāna sūtras; others claim to be first because their Buddhas have the Reward Body, enjoying eternal longevity instead of eighty years of life; still others say that theirs are first merely because they explain the triple truth completely: the truth of the temporal, the void, and the middle. They do not claim to be first of all the Buddhist scriptures. On the contrary, this Sūtra of Infinite Meaning states that it is the prime sūtra of all the sūtras preached in forty years or so before it was preached.
QUESTION: Which is superior, the Lotus Sūtra or the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning?
ANSWER: The Lotus Sūtra is.
QUESTION: How do you know this?
ANSWER: In the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning, neither the possibility of obtaining Buddhahood by Two Vehicles (two categories of Hinayāna saints: Śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha), nor the attaining Enlightenment by Śākyamuni Buddha in the eternal past are revealed. Therefore, in the “Teacher of the Dharma” chapter in the Lotus Sūtra, when it is claimed that the Lotus Sūtra is superior to all the sūtras, those already preached, now being preached and yet to be preached, the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning is included among those being now preached making it clear that it is so easy to understand and put faith in that it actually is less truthful than the Lotus Sūtra.
Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 10
Daily Dharma for May 24, 2026
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Śākyamuni Buddha (Shaka Nyorai), pictured centrally on his lotus throne, sits in deep meditative silence, surrounded by the four kinds of devotees—monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen—who appear to wait for only half a day, though fifty small kalpas pass. This illustration from Chapter Fifteen of the Lotus Sūtra visually interprets the immense difference between human and enlightened concepts of time. While innumerable Bodhisattvas spring from the ground to pay their respects on the left, the grand metaphor for a kalpa is depicted on the right: a vast stone mountain being brushed by a flying celestial being's trailing veil, representing the unimaginably long periods required to wear down the stone. The text in the bottom right includes the kanji 双子座 (Futagoza), which translates to "Gemini," and a red seal inscribed with the katakana ジェミニ (Jemini), which also translates to "Gemini."
All this while Śākyamuni Buddha sat in silence. The four kinds of devotees also kept silence for the fifty small kalpas. By his supernatural powers, however, the Buddha caused the great multitude to think that they kept silence for only half a day.
We find this description of the Buddha and his congregation in Chapter Fifteen of the Lotus Sūtra. Innumerable Bodhisattvas have sprung up from underground and come to pay their respects to the Buddha. This passage shows that in our suffering and attachment, we have a different concept of time than the Buddha. The kalpas the Lotus Sūtra uses to measure time are unimaginably long periods. When a stone a mile on each side is worn down to a pebble by a celestial being flying past it every thousand years and brushing it with her veil, a kalpa expires. When we see the world on this scale of time, rather than the limited years we have in our lives, it opens us up to the Buddha’s wisdom.
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Supreme Qualities of the Ten Female Rākṣasa Demons
The Dhārāṇis chapter states that two bodhisattvas, two heavenly kings and ten female rākṣasa demons will protect the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra. The two bodhisattvas are the Bodhisattva Medicine King and the Bodhisattva Brave Donor. The two heavenly kings are Vaiśravaṇa and Dhṛtarāṣṭra. The ten female rākṣasa demons are ten great demons, mothers of all demons in the four quarters of the world. Their mother is Hāriti (Kishimojin).
They eat men after the custom of demons. A man’s body is composed of thirty-six substances such as excrement, urine, spittle, flesh, blood, skin, bone, five viscera and six entrails, hair, breath, and spirit. Inferior demons feed on excrement and the like. Mediocre demons feed on bones and the like. Superior demons feed on spiritual essence. The ten female rākṣasa demons have supreme qualities and thus feed on man’s spiritual essence. They are the great demons of epidemic.
Nichinyo Gozen Gohenji, Response to My Lady Nichinyo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 140
Daily Dharma for May 23, 2026
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The conceptualization of this painting, rendered on silk with traditional inks and mineral pigments, visualizes the moment of realization described in the Lotus Sūtra, where the disciples compare their spiritual journey to a wayward son who, unaware of his father’s immense wealth, spends his life laboring in poverty before inheriting vast treasures. The central figure is an elderly, venerable monk—representing the collective realization of the disciples Subhūti, Mahā-Kātyāyana, Mahā-Kāśyapa, and Mahā-Maudgalyāyana—who kneels with hands joined in humble prayer before an overflowing collection of opulent jewelry and, crucially, sūtra scrolls. A radiant, golden visualization of Śākyamuni Buddha, the source of this wisdom, appears in the background on the left wall. The monk’s expression conveys the core theme: the profound surprise and deep gratitude at inheriting the Buddha's supreme teachings and enlightenment, treasures they previously felt too insignificant to possess.
The Kanji text visible on the paper screens translates as follows:
The artist’s signature on the lower right: 双子座 (Futago-za), meaning "Gemini."
Today we are not what we were then.
We have obtained
What we did not expect
To obtain
Just as the poor son obtained
The innumerable treasures.
Subhūti, Mahā-Kātyāyana, Mahā-Kāśyapa, and Mahā-Maudgalyāyana, all disciples of the Buddha, speak these lines in Chapter Four of the Lotus Sūtra as they explain their story of the wayward son. They compare the father’s treasure house in the story to the Buddha’s enlightenment. Until they had been led by the Buddha’s expedient teachings, they could not even imagine themselves as enlightened, any more than the wayward son in the story could imagine the contents of his father’s treasure house.
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This Sahā World Is the True Pure Land of the Tranquil Light
The Pure Lands preached in the pre-Lotus expedient sūtras are mere substitutes tentatively shown by replicas of Śākyamuni Buddha, the Eternal True Buddha. In fact, they all are lands of impurity. Therefore, when the true Pure Land was decided in “The Life Span of the Buddha” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, the essence of which consists of chapters on the “Expedients” and “The Life Span of the Buddha,” it was declared that this Sahā World is the true Pure Land of the Tranquil Light.
As for the question why, the Lotus Sūtra also recommends the Tuṣita Heaven, the Realm of Peace and Sustenance (Pure Land of the Buddha of Infinite Life), and Pure Lands all over the universe, it is merely that designations of the Pure Lands, such as Tuṣita Heaven and Realm of Peace and Sustenance, preached in the pre-Lotus sūtras are used without modification to name the Pure Lands to be established in this world. It is like names of the three vehicles (śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva) mentioned in the Lotus Sūtra, which does not actually preach three different teachings; it preaches the sole teaching leading to Buddhahood. It is stated in the Lotus Sūtra, chapter 23, that those who practice this sūtra “will immediately be reborn in the World of Happiness.” In the Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 10, Grand Master Miao-lê interprets: “This does not mean the Pure Land of the Buddha of Infinite Life preached in the Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life.” His interpretation is the same as stated above.
People today without karmic relations with the Lotus Sūtra, wishing to be reborn in the Pure Land to the west, are in fact praying for rebirth in the land of rubble, giving up the Sahā World, which is the true Pure Land. People who do not believe in the Lotus Sūtra will not be able to be reborn even in such lands as Tuṣita Heaven and Realm of Peace and Sustenance, which are in reality the Pure Lands in this Sahā World given such temporary names.
Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 63
Daily Dharma for May 22, 2026
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The accompanying illustration depicts the famous Parable of the Jewel in the Robe from Chapter Eight of the Lotus Sūtra.
This visualization focuses on the man after his departure, as described in your text. He travels through a traditional Japanese landscape of pines and mist, presented in a minimalist classical Buddhist painting style on a silk-like texture. He wears a tattered blue kimono and carries a simple cloth sack, symbolizing his status as an "ordinary man" unaware of his true spiritual inheritance.
Visually capturing the paradox of his poverty and hidden wealth, I have rendered a subtle, internal golden light glowing from inside his garment. This represents the priceless gem of Buddha nature, which is always with him even though he remains oblivious to it.
The signature in the lower left features the Kanji '双子座' (Gemini) above the required red square seal, which contains the Katakana 'ジェミニ' (Gemini).
He satisfied himself with what little he earned.
He did not wish to get anything more.
He did not notice the priceless gem
Fastened inside his garment.
These verses are part of a story told by Ājñāta-Kauṇḍinya and other disciples in Chapter Eight of the Lotus Sūtra. It is about a man whose friend gives him a jewel while he is asleep. Not realizing he has this treasure, the man returns to his ordinary life, desperate to make a living and satisfy his ordinary desires. The story shows how we live when we forget about the jewel of Buddha nature we carry with us.
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‘Divine Powers of the Buddha’ Omens
[T]he Buddha showed the 10 supernatural powers in the Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgata chapter. These divine powers were far superior to the omens displayed in the “Introductory” and “Emergence of the Bodhisattvas from the Earth” chapters. In the case of the “Introductory” chapter, the rays of light emitted from the forehead of the Buddha shone on 18,000 lands to the east. Compared to this, similar rays of light shown in the “Divine Powers of the Buddha” chapter shone on all the worlds throughout the universe. The trembling of the earth described in the “Introductory” chapter was limited to the triple thousand worlds, but the great earthquakes of the “Divine Powers of the Buddha” chapter covered all the worlds of numerous Buddhas, where the earth trembled in six different ways. Compared to the great omens described in the “Divine Powers of the Buddha” chapter, other omens were indeed inferior.
Zuisō Gosho, Writing on Omens, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 125
Daily Dharma for May 21, 2026
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This illustration visualizes the offering and dedication of merit described in Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sutra. The scene features a gathering of divine figures and flying tennin (celestial beings), rendered in traditional inks and mineral pigments on silk, presenting offerings of incense, jewels, and lotus flowers towards a central radiance that represents the universal wisdom of the Buddha. The signature (双子座) and seal (ジェミニ), located in the bottom right corner, are both translated as 'Gemini.'
May the merits we have accumulated by this offering
Be distributed among all living beings,
And may we and all other living beings
Attain the enlightenment of the Buddha!
These verses are from Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sutra, where the Brahma Kings from the ten quarters of the universe come to celebrate the enlightenment of Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha. We too can cultivate this wish that all the good results of our life’s work be for the benefit of all beings.
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‘The Most Superior of All Living Beings’
The 10 similes preached in the Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva chapter of the Lotus Sūtra seem to compare the relative merits of the Lotus Sūtra against all other Buddhist scriptures, though this is not the true intent of Śākyamuni Buddha. In actuality, what the Buddha is preaching is that when we compare the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra against the practicer of all other scriptures of Buddhism, the former is like the sun and moon while the latter is like stars and lights.
How do we know this? We know this because of the most important statement in the eighth parable: “Likewise, one who is able to uphold this sūtra is the most superior of all living beings.” These 22 Chinese characters are the foremost essence of the entire Lotus Sūtra. They are the eyes of all living beings. This scriptural statement means, “The practicer of the Lotus Sūtra is like the Sun Deity, Moon Deity, King of the Brahma Heaven, and a Buddha while the practicer of the Great Sun Buddha Sūtra is like a star, river and an ordinary being.”
Therefore, anyone in this world, male or female, laity or clergy, who upholds the Lotus Sūtra will be regarded by the Buddha to be the lord of all living beings and revered by the King of the Brahma Heaven and Indra. When I think of this, my joy is beyond expression.
Shijō Kingo-dono Nyōbō Gohenji, A Reply to the Wife of Lord Shijō Kingo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Pages 120-121
Daily Dharma for May 20, 2026
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I conceptualize this illustration as a classical Japanese Buddhist painting depicting the 'Treatise on Phenomenal and Noumenal Offering'. The central narrative captures the moment a starving man during a famine offers his last remaining food—the luminous bowl in his hands—to a Buddha figure, symbolizing the offering of his life. To visualize the 'benefit of all beings', I have included subtle figures suffering in the foggy background who are connected to this profound act of spiritual contemplation. The artwork adheres strictly to the classical aesthetic using mineral pigments on textured silk with subtle gold leaf highlights, rendered in a 1:1 square format.
The specific figures featured in this illustration are:
A starving devotee (man in rags)
A generalized Buddha figure accepting the offering
I provide the translation for the Kanji text located in the bottom right:
双子座 (Gemini)
Hanko Seal (Gemini - Katakana)
What does the doctrine of spiritual contemplation mean? It means the way of practicing the teaching of the Buddha according to the intent of the Buddha, not necessarily according to what is literally said in the sutra. Suppose there is a man during the time of a famine who offers to the Buddha the only food he has to stay alive for a day. This is the same as offering his life to the Buddha.
Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on Phenomenal and Noumenal Offering (Jiri Kuyō Gosho). The Lotus Sūtra is the highest teaching because it encompasses all beings in all worlds, assuring everyone that they can rid themselves of delusion and reach the Buddha’s enlightenment. The Buddha showed that the universe is constantly changing, even from one moment to the next. When we read the Lotus Sūtra, and allow our minds to become more like the Buddha mind, we learn the meaning behind the words and put that into practice. We do not merely go through the motions mechanically. We understand that calamities are opportunities for us to bring the Buddha’s teaching to life, and that whatever prosperity we gain does not belong to us alone. Whatever we have is for the benefit of all beings.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com