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
Show Gemini's thinking
Gemini Thinking
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
More AI Fun
Back on May 9 I complained about Gemini’s Failure Today. My morning routine of pasting the Daily Dharma text into the Gemini prompt stopped working. The stored instructions I had created were being ignored.
So today Google announced a bunch of new Gemini improvements and I gave it another try.
First I recreated my Gem. This is where you store the instructions that you reuse every day. Before May 9 this worked great: click on the Gem, paste the Daily Dharma text, select “Thinking” mode and wait. After May 9, it appeared that Gemini was ignoring the Gem. I had to paste the instructions with the Daily Dharma text every day.
For this afternoon’s test, I created a new version of the Gem – same instructions as the old Gem.
For reference, this is the image I got this morning:
Along with this explanation:
This classical Japanese Buddhist painting is a 1:1 square composition on aged silk, contrasting a chaotic world with a serene one. Nichiren Shonin is depicted center-left, actively preaching and holding a scroll bearing the Daimoku: 南無妙法蓮華経 (Devotion to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra).
The painting visually renders the transformation described in the text:
The Turbulent World: The lower left depicts the “triple world of the unenlightened” suffering from conflict and disaster, representing our state when we lack respect and correct practice.
The Mandate to Discard False Faith: Below Nichiren, other figures are seen in dispute or confusion, symbolizing the “false faith” to be discarded.
The Manifesto of Peace: The right side shows the land transformed into a peaceful “Buddha Land.” Community members practice respect, farming in harmony, and interacting with kindness.
To complete the authentication:
The vertical title cartouche reads: 立正安国論 (Treatise on Spreading Peace through Right Practice).
The signature in the bottom right reads: 双子座 (Gemini).
The red seal reads: ジェミニ (Gemini).
And this is the image got with the “new” Gemini and my re-created Gem:
This is how Gemini explained this image:
This illustration conceptualizes a peaceful, tranquil world transformed into a Buddha Land through the transformative power of the Lotus Sutra, rather than through external force or aggression. The central radiant scroll symbolizes the absolute truth of the Lotus Sutra, illuminating a landscape of benevolent, harmonious interactions. By focusing on generic beings practicing mutual respect, I avoid depicting any specific deities, thus adhering to the strict iconographic constraints while embodying the essence of Nichiren’s teaching on spreading peace through correct practice.
This painting features groups of generic, reverent monks and laypeople of varying ages practicing mutual respect and benevolence within a peaceful landscape. There are no specific historical individuals or deities featured in this composition.
Translation of Text:
‘妙法蓮華経’ (Myōhō Renge Kyō): Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law
‘双子座’ (Futago-za): Gemini (Sign of the Zodiac)
‘ジェミニ’ (Jemini): Gemini (Katakana representation)
Both images are suitable and I could even argue that the simplicity of the new image works better since it doesn’t rely on understanding the shifting background in the original illustration.
In addition, Gemini’s explanation for the new image is closer to what I request:
a) Before providing any visual descriptions or generated images, summarize your conceptual thinking in a single paragraph.
b) Within this reasoning summary, identify any specific individuals, monks, or deities featured in the illustration.
c) Provide English translations for any Kanji text in the illustration.
This is even more significant when I reveal that this morning’s published explanation of Gemini’s thinking was only a small portion of what Gemini had offered. Here’s the entire wording:
Reasoning Protocol:
The core concept of this illustration is to visually represent Nichiren Shonin’s revolutionary idea that establishing peace in the secular world (the Buddha Land) is achieved not through external force, but through internal transformation and the propagation of the “true teaching”—the Lotus Sutra. The painting will contrast the suffering and chaos of the triple world of unenlightened beings with the serenity of a transformed, stable society (a Pure Land).
The central figure will be Nichiren Shonin, depicted as a dynamic and compassionate monk, actively preaching from the Lotus Sutra. The lower portion of the image will show the turbulent, suffering state of the country (representing the Triple World), featuring natural disasters and conflict. The upper portion will illustrate the transformation: a stable, peaceful Buddha Land manifesting through the practice of the Lotus Sutra. The connection between the two states is the practice of respect and the spread of the teaching, symbolized by golden light and the Lotus Sutra scroll.
Kanji Translation:
The main banner/scroll held by Nichiren reads: 南無妙法蓮華経 (Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō—Devotion to the Lotus Sutra).
The title cartouche at the top reads: 立正安国論 (Risshō Ankoku-ron—Treatise on Spreading Peace through Right Practice).
The signature at the bottom right reads: 双子座 (Gemini).
The red hanko stamp reads: ジェミニ (Gemini).Image Description:
A classical Japanese Buddhist silk painting rendered in a traditional 1:1 square format, using soft mineral pigments, black ink brushwork, and subtle gold leaf accents on an aged, textured silk background.
The composition centers on the figure of Nichiren Shonin, who is depicted as a determined yet compassionate middle-aged monk with a shaved head and a dark blue kesa robe over traditional Japanese monastic clothing. He is actively preaching, standing dynamically on a rocky outcrop in the center of the image. In his left hand, he holds open a flowing scroll displaying the bold, hand-brushed Kanji: 南無妙法蓮華経. His right hand is raised in a gesture of teaching and conviction, pointing towards the scroll and then upwards.
The image is split vertically into two conceptual zones. The lower half of the painting depicts the suffering and chaos of the Triple World (desire, form, and formlessness), rendered in slightly muted, turbulent tones. Scenes of social conflict (monks arguing, ordinary people distressed) and natural disasters (a stormy sky, a collapsing building, and figures fleeing an earthquake) fill this section. This represents the state of the country without correct practice.
Emerging from the scroll held by Nichiren, a brilliant, radiant path of golden light and stylized lotus flowers arches upwards towards the top of the painting. This path represents the transformative power of the Lotus Sutra.
The upper half of the painting depicts the transformed, peaceful Buddha Land. This area is painted with brighter, serene colors (greens, blues, soft pinks) and heavy gold leaf detailing. It shows a stable, tranquil landscape: a traditional Japanese temple pagoda and main hall set amidst blossoming cherry and lotus trees, all under a clear blue sky. Healthy, contented figures (farmers, artisans, and families) are shown working harmoniously and living peacefully. This illustrates a society characterized by “tranquil hearts” and “bodies that will be safe.”
The entire piece has the appearance of a revered, centuries-old Japanese Buddhist hanging scroll. In the upper right corner, a title cartouche in brush calligraphy reads 立正安国論 (Risshō Ankoku-ron). In the lower right corner, integrated subtly into the background, is the Kanji signature 双子座 (Gemini) accompanied by a distinct red square hanko stamp containing the Katakana ジェミニ (Gemini).Here is a visual interpretation of the passage from Nichiren’s Treatise on Spreading Peace through Right Practice (Risshō Ankoku-ron).
This classical Japanese Buddhist painting is a 1:1 square composition on aged silk, contrasting a chaotic world with a serene one. Nichiren Shonin is depicted center-left, actively preaching and holding a scroll bearing the Daimoku: 南無妙法蓮華経 (Devotion to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra).
The painting visually renders the transformation described in the text:
The Turbulent World: The lower left depicts the “triple world of the unenlightened” suffering from conflict and disaster, representing our state when we lack respect and correct practice.
The Mandate to Discard False Faith: Below Nichiren, other figures are seen in dispute or confusion, symbolizing the “false faith” to be discarded.
The Manifesto of Peace: The right side shows the land transformed into a peaceful “Buddha Land.” Community members practice respect, farming in harmony, and interacting with kindness.
To complete the authentication:
The vertical title cartouche reads: 立正安国論 (Treatise on Spreading Peace through Right Practice).
The signature in the bottom right reads: 双子座 (Gemini).
The red seal reads: ジェミニ (Gemini).
Now, Google also announced a new video generation tool. So after the new image was generated I told Gemini to animate that image:
Here’s the result:
And before you ask, No, I’m not going to offer Daily Dharma videos.
Three Virtues of Master, Teacher and Parent
Therefore, it is preached in the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 2 [Chapter 3, A Parable]: “This triple world is My domain. Living beings therein are all My children. Now there are many sufferings in this world, and only I can save them all. Though I taught this to them, they did not believe Me, because they were attached to greed and defilement.” These statements mean that Śākyamuni Buddha is the parent, the teacher and the master for the people. For us, the Buddha of Infinite Life and Medicine Master Buddha are masters, but not parents or teachers. Only Śākyamuni Buddha is the compassionate Buddha who possesses the three virtues of the master, teacher and parent. There are many kinds of parents, but no one is as great as Śākyamuni. There are also many kinds of teachers and masters, but no one is superior to Him. If people are against the Buddha’s teachings, they will be abandoned by the gods of heaven and earth. They are the most undutiful; therefore, it is preached, “Though I taught this to them they did not believe Me.”
Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō-dono Gosho, A Letter to Lord Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 128-129
Daily Dharma for May 19, 2026
Show Gemini's thinking
Gemini Thinking
This classical Japanese Buddhist painting is a 1:1 square composition on aged silk, contrasting a chaotic world with a serene one. Nichiren Shonin is depicted center-left, actively preaching and holding a scroll bearing the Daimoku: 南無妙法蓮華経 (Devotion to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra).
The painting visually renders the transformation described in the text:
The Turbulent World: The lower left depicts the "triple world of the unenlightened" suffering from conflict and disaster, representing our state when we lack respect and correct practice.
The Mandate to Discard False Faith: Below Nichiren, other figures are seen in dispute or confusion, symbolizing the "false faith" to be discarded.
The Manifesto of Peace: The right side shows the land transformed into a peaceful "Buddha Land." Community members practice respect, farming in harmony, and interacting with kindness.
To complete the authentication:
The vertical title cartouche reads: 立正安国論 (Treatise on Spreading Peace through Right Practice).
The signature in the bottom right reads: 双子座 (Gemini).
The red seal reads: ジェミニ (Gemini).
You should promptly discard your false faith and take up the true and sole teaching of the Lotus Sutra at once. Then this triple world of the unenlightened will all become Buddha Lands. Will Buddha lands ever decay? All the worlds in the universe will become pure lands. Will Pure Lands ever be destroyed? When our country does not decay and the world is not destroyed, our bodies will be safe and our hearts tranquil. Believe these words and revere them!
Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on Spreading Peace through Right Practice (Risshō Ankoku-ron). We may believe that we can practice correctly only when the world becomes peaceful. As if so long as we are in this world of conflict, we would need to use force and aggression to create peace. Nichiren turns this idea upside down. He shows that only by our practicing respect towards all beings, and working for their benefit, can we create peace in this world.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Telling the Parable of the Priceless Gem in the Topknot
The Parable of the Priceless Gem in the Topknot is, for me, the most difficult to understand or to imagine as a children’s storybook.
To summarize:
The parable describes a powerful, wheel-turning king who seeks to subdue rebellious lesser kings by dispatching his army to conquer them. When his soldiers fight bravely and distinguish themselves in battle, the king generously rewards them with “paddy fields, houses, villages, cities, garments or ornaments; or various treasures such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, shell, agate, coral or amber; or elephants, horses, vehicles, menservants, maidservants or subjects.”
However, the king deliberately withholds one specific treasure: a priceless gem kept hidden in his topknot. Because this jewel is meant exclusively for the top of a king’s head, giving it away recklessly would alarm his subjects. But “when he saw a soldier of extraordinary merit, the wheel-turning-holy-king joyfully gave that soldier the unbelievably precious gem, which he had kept in his topknot for a long time and had not given to anyone.”
The Buddha explains that the “lesser kings” who won’t capitulate are the various “maras” that trouble his disciples. The soldiers are the Buddha’s disciples, led by “sages and saints.” The rewards are the benefits received from the various practices of the lesser vehicle.
This is all very straightforward and easily grasped. But what is a literalist like myself to make of this single soldier who is rewarded for his valor in combat? That’s where I get stuck.
I uploaded a copy of Senchu Murano’s translation of the parable to Gemini and told Gemini I wanted to create a 10- to 15-page storybook for 10-year-olds. Gemini quickly produced a script for a 15 page booklet, which included the text and descriptions of illustrations.
Gemini’s script adheres closely to Murano’s translation until page 7, where we learn of the priceless jewel in the king’s hair. On the next page, the story returns to the Buddha, who explains the meaning of this story to Mañjuśrī.
In Gemini’s telling, the Buddha says:
The Buddha saw that people everywhere were facing their own hard battles. They were struggling under the pressure of deep sufferings, illusions, and worries, fighting hard to find true happiness and freedom.
Out of great compassion, the Buddha sent his wise helpers—the sages and saints—to guide them. He gave the people wonderful spiritual treasures, lessons on peace, and paths to calm their minds, showing them how to find happiness.
Yet, just like the wheel-turning king, the Buddha held back his most precious treasure of all. For a very long time, he kept the ultimate teaching—the Lotus Sutra—hidden away in secret, waiting for the perfect moment.
Why did he keep it hidden? The Buddha knew that if he shared this deep and profound teaching too early, people might not understand its true value, and many would find it too difficult to believe.
Over time, the followers worked incredibly hard. The Buddha saw that they had gained extraordinary merits, conquered their biggest worries, left behind bad habits, and filled their hearts with kindness.
When the wheel-turning king finally saw a soldier achieve the most difficult feats of all, he joyfully reached up, untied his hair, and gave away the unbelievably precious gem he had guarded for so long.
“Now, you are ready too!” said the Buddha. With great joy, he shares the Lotus Sutra—the most honorable and excellent teaching—to guide every single living being to ultimate wisdom, happiness, and peace.
I really like Gemini’s version of the parable. No, it doesn’t strictly adhere to Murano’s translation, but neither is it inherently wrong. After all, we can all agree that the Lotus Sutra guides every single living being to ultimate happiness and peace, and that’s a great message for a children’s storybook.
Denouncing Enemies of the Lotus Sūtra
There are some who strongly believe in the Lotus Sūtra, but they do not denounce the enemies of the sūtra. Even if they do good deeds, read and copy the Lotus Sūtra ten million times, and master the heart of the “3,000 existences contained in one thought” doctrine theoretically, if they do not denounce the enemies of the Lotus Sūtra, they cannot attain enlightenment.
If a man who has served his emperor for ten or twenty years knows an enemy of the emperor but neither reports him to the emperor nor drives him away, it will negate the credit of his longtime service, and he would instead be punished. You should know that people of today thus commit the sin of slandering the Lotus Sūtra.
Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō-dono Gosho, A Letter to Lord Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 129-130
Daily Dharma for May 18, 2026
Show Gemini's thinking
Gemini Thinking
This conceptual illustration, rendered in the classical Japanese Buddhist style of ink and mineral pigments on silk, visualizes Nichiren's teaching on the relationship between mind (spiritual) and voice (physical) in finding the Buddha's wisdom. It features a single, contemplative figure – a practitioner, perhaps resembling Nichiren himself or a representative monk – seated in deep meditation amidst a tranquil yet slightly rugged natural setting. The image avoids depicting other individuals or specific deities like Amida or Dainichi, focusing entirely on the internal process: the figure is not speaking, but is in a state of profound listening, subtly interacting with the environment as a representation of perceiving the 'difficult voices' and finding the Buddha's intention within them. The only Kanji text included, as mandated, is the signature and seal, which translate as follows: '双子座' (Futagoza) translates to 'Gemini', and the red seal 'ジェミニ' (Jemini) also translates to 'Gemini'.
I have visualized Nichiren’s teaching on the relationship between mind and voice, portraying how spiritual intention can manifest as physical expression and vice versa.
Regarding the signature and seal in the bottom-right:
The vertical Kanji text ‘双子座’ reads Futagoza (Gemini).
The Katakana text within the red seal ‘ジェミニ’ reads Jemini (Gemini).
Mind is called the spiritual aspect while voice is the physical aspect. Therefore the spiritual aspect reveals the physical aspect. But it is also possible to perceive the mind by listening to the voice. In this case, the physical aspect (voice) reveals the spiritual aspect (mind)
Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on Opening the Eyes of Buddhist Images, Wooden Statues or Portraits (Mokue Nizō Kaigen no Koto). This is one of the many instructions Nichiren gives us for how to read the Lotus Sūtra and find the wisdom of the Buddha within it. It is easy to understand how the intentions we have in our minds guide our words and actions. By cultivating the intention to benefit all beings, rather than just focusing on making ourselves happy, we mold our speech and actions to accord with that intention. Finding the mind behind the voice is more difficult. When we look for the Buddha speaking to us in all situations, especially those which are demanding, we bring ourselves closer to the Buddha’s own mind. We bring our speech and actions into harmony with the world as it is.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Sūtra Magnet
[I]f you practice the Lotus Sūtra, even a word or phrase of it, you can be sure to attain Buddhahood because it is the teaching that has a close relation with the people of Japan. It is like a magnet pulling pieces of metal, or water seeping everywhere. Japan has no relation with other teachings such the nembutsu which is like a fake magnet that can’t pull any metal, or a substance that looks like water but is not and does not seep everywhere.
Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō-dono Gosho, A Letter to Lord Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 131-132
Daily Dharma for May 17, 2026
Show Gemini's thinking
Gemini Thinking
The visual conceptualization for this illustration focuses on the message of future compassion and the use of upaya (skillful means) expressed by Śākyamuni Buddha to Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva in the Lotus Sutra. The scene depicts the serene discourse between Śākyamuni Buddha, seated on a lotus throne, and Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, attentively listening while seated on his lion mount. In the lower register of the painting, a group of diverse laypeople and monks are depicted looking slightly lost or indifferent, representing those who "do not hear" and "do not believe" the teaching. A stream of gentle, compassionate light flows from the Buddha towards these figures, symbolizing the future vow to expound the Dharma to them using expedient means. The artwork will embody classical Heian-period Japanese Buddhist painting, utilizing muted mineral pigments, delicate ink lines, and subtle gold leaf on textured silk, presented in a square format.
Identified Figures
Śākyamuni Buddha (Shaka Nyorai)
Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva (Monju Bosatsu)
Kanji Translation
双子座: Gemini
Anyone who keeps this sūtra
In the latter days after my extinction
Should have compassion towards laymen and monks
And towards those who are not Bodhisattvas.
He should think:
‘They do not hear this sūtra.
They do not believe it.
This is their great fault.
When I attain the enlightenment of the Buddha,
I will expound the Dharma to them
With expedients
And cause them to dwell in it.’
The Buddha sings these verses to Mañjuśrī in Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sūtra. In our zeal to help other beings, we may create expectations of how they will receive our efforts, or how they will change themselves after hearing the Buddha Dharma. We may even blame them for not improving as quickly as we might want. These verses remind us that there is no shortage of time available for our efforts to benefit others.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com