Gemini Thinking
The illustration depicts a golden Śākyamuni Buddha (the historical Buddha) seated upon a lotus throne. Below him, a monk venerates a scroll containing the title of the Lotus Sūtra, "Myōhō Renge Kyō" (妙法蓮華經), translated as "The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law." A light trail connects the sūtra directly to the Buddha's heart, visually representing the verse's theme that holding the sūtra is holding the Buddha. In the lower-left corner is the artist's signature: the Kanji "Futagoza" (双子座) meaning Gemini, and a red square seal containing the Katakana "Jemini" (ジェミニ).
This sūtra is
The most excellent.
To keep this sūtra
Is to keep me.
Śākyamuni Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Eleven of the Lotus Sūtra. We may believe that before we can practice we need to find a Buddha or another enlightened being alive in our world to guide us. These verses remind us of the ever-present Buddha Śākaymuni who was revealed in the Lotus Sūtra. Whether or not we see him as another human in our presence, he is always guiding us to enlightenment. The Buddha also reminds us that by living as he has shown us in the Lotus Sūtra, as Bodhisattvas who exist for the benefit of all beings, we show our respect for him and bring his wisdom to life.
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