“Medicine-King! Myōhō Renge Kyō is the store of the hidden core of all the Buddhas. Do not give it to others carelessly! Myōhō Renge Kyō is protected by the Buddhas, by the World-Honored Ones. Myōhō Renge Kyō has not been expounded explicitly.”
Monthly Archives: May 2025
Tao-sheng: The Teacher of the Dharma
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p269What has been discussed so far, up to the preceding chapter, a total of three preachings and three prophecy bestowals, suggests the proposition that the cause of three turns out to be the cause of One, which can be arrived at either way [by way of preachings or bestowal]. The three preachings are, first, the chapter (2) on “expedient devices”; second, the chapter (3) on “parable”; and third, the chapter (7) on “[the parable of] the conjured city.” The chapter (4) on “belief and understanding” deals with their self-examination of their understanding. In the chapter (5) on “medicinal herbs” the Buddha tells that what he has preached is not of a separate category. The three kinds of conferment of prophecies are, first the conferring on Śāriputra; second, the conferring on the four great voice hearers; third, the conferring on the five hundred disciples along with the learners and the adepts.
This chapter generally deals with [the Buddha’s Instruction] for propagating this sūtra. Dharma Master refers to one for whom there is no li that he cannot propagate. The one who is able to publicize and exalt this path is referred to as Dharma Master. By praising it to [beings of] various sentiments, would they not be benefitted?
Medicine Master Buddha’s Mantra
This is a stylized version of Medicine Master Buddha’s Mantra with 108 repetitions.
Below are quotes from Master Hsuan Hua‘s commentary on The Sutra of the Merit and Virtue of the Past Vows of Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya.
Hsuan Hua, Medicine Master Sutra commentary, p114-115Sūtra:
At that time, the World-Honored One entered a samādhi called “extinguishing the suffering and distress of all beings.” After he entered this samādhi, a great light came forth from the prominence on top of his head. From amid that light he proclaimed this magnificent dhārāṇi:Na mo bo qie fa di. Bi sha she. Ju lu bi liu li. Bo la po. He la she ye. Da tuo jie duo ye. E la he di. San miao san pu tuo ye. Da zhi tuo nan. Bi sha shi. Bi sha shi. Bi sha she. San mo jie di. Suo he.
…Commentary:
If you recite this very short mantra faithfully and single-mindedly, you will find that it has infinitely many wonderful functions. A doctor can use this mantra to enable his patients to have a speedy recovery. With the mantra’s help, he can become an extremely good doctor. Everyone, whether you are a doctor or not, should recite this mantra. If you recite it on behalf of sick people, they will soon get well.The mantra consists of transliterated sounds, which cannot be explained. You are not supposed to understand what the mantra means. It is wonderful precisely because it is not understood.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for May 24, 2025
(The Buddha said to Śāriputra:)
A kalpa will not be long enough to describe
The punishments to be inflicted
Upon those who slander Myōhō Renge Kyō.Therefore,
I tell you.
Do not expound Myōhō Renge Kyō
To people of no wisdom!Expound Myōhō Renge Kyō to clever people
Who have profound wisdom,
Who hear much,
Who remember well,
And who seek
The enlightenment of the Buddha!
Tao-sheng: Bestowing Prophecies on Learners and Adepts
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p267[Concerning Chapter 9, The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Śrāvakas Who Have Something More to Learn and the Śrāvakas Who Have Nothing More to Learn,] the five hundred arhats are those who had “the virtues filled inside and their names flowing outside.” Thus, they received their prophecies earlier. These learners and adepts are advanced very little in “name and actuality” (ming-shih); hence, they receive their prophecies later. All that is dealt with throughout this one segment is [the Buddha’s] bestowal of the prophecies upon them.
Medicine Master Buddha’s Ninth Vow
Hsuan Hua, Medicine Master Sutra commentary, p76-77The ninth great vow concerns destroying the nets of demons and gaining liberation from the dense forests of the wrong views of heretics. Medicine Master Buddha said: “I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I shall free sentient beings from the nets of demons.” Right now as people, we are very close to the demons and very far from the Buddhas. If we wish to be a demon, we can do so anytime. If we wish to become Buddhas, we have to break through many dense forests of wrong views. We have to cast out wrong views and constantly cultivate right views before we can escape the demons’ nets. As these nets are very tough to break, we may easily become followers of demons and asuras. If we are always getting angry or doing stupid things, we are in the demons’ nets.
When a fisherman nets a big fish, he thinks, “What a big fish I’ve caught for supper today!” When a demon catches a person in its net, it thinks, “Great! I’ve got another person for my retinue.” How can we escape the nets of demons? It’s very simple. Just avoid getting mad and doing stupid things. Demons use their tricks to lead people to believe in wrong views, and it’s very difficult for them to get free. However, if we rely on the power of Medicine Master Buddha’s vow, it becomes very easy to escape the demons’ nets.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for May 23, 2025
Even you, Śāriputra,
Have understood Myōhō Renge Kyō
Only by faith.
Needless to say,
The other Śrāvakas cannot do otherwise.
They will be able to follow Myōhō Renge Kyō
Only because they believe my words,
Not because they have wisdom.
Tao-sheng: The Parable of the Priceless Gem
“World-Honored One! Suppose a man visited {arrives at the house} his good friend.
The five hundred arhats, after their subtle triggering-mechanism was awakened, were delighted and reproached themselves. Insofar as they reproached themselves, their pleasure also was not a shallow one. Although the speeches the Thus Come One has made are so multifarious, with no set pattern, the li underlying them is by no means different. However, these five hundred people went astray from the [Buddha’s] words, fai