Day 14 covers all of 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, and opens Chapter 10, The Teacher of the Dharma.
Having last month covered how anyone who keeps this sutra in the future should be considered to have been dispatched by Sakyamuni, I conclude the day’s reading with the need to withhold criticism of those who follow this most excellent sutra.
Whoever for as long as a kalpa,
With evil intent and flushed face,
Speaks ill of me,
Will incur immeasurable retributions.
Whoever for even a moment
Reproaches those who read, recite and keep
The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
Will incur even more retributions.Whoever for as long as a kalpa
Joins his hands together towards me
And praises me with innumerable gathas
In order to attain the enlightenment of the Buddha,
Will obtain innumerable merits
Because he praises me.
Whoever praises the keeper of this sutra
Will obtain even more merits.For eight thousand million kalpas
Offer to the keeper of this sutra
The most wonderful things to see,
Hear, smell, taste and touch!If you make these offerings,
And hear [this sutra] even for a moment,
You will rejoice and say,
“Now I have obtained great benefits.”Medicine-King! I will tell you.
The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
Is the most excellent sutra
That I have ever expounded.
The Daily Dharma from May 6, 2016, offers this:
Medicine-King! I will tell you.
The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
Is the most excellent sūtra
That I have ever expounded.
The Buddha sings these verses to Medicine-King Bodhisattva in Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. Our founder Nichiren explained that the superiority of the Lotus Sūtra lay not in its being more powerful than other Sūtras, but that it leads all beings, without exception, to the Buddha’s own enlightenment. Other teachings distinguish between those who can follow the Buddha Dharma and those who cannot. But this teaching assures everyone who hears it that they will become enlightened.
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