Day 4 concludes Chapter 2, Expedients, and completes the first volume of the Sūtra of the Lotus flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Having last month heard Śākyamuni’s declaration that this Wonderful Dharma is the hidden core of the Buddhas, , we complete Chapter 2, Expedients.
Śāriputra [and others], know this!
As a rule, the Buddhas expound the Dharma
With billions of expedients as stated above,
According to the capacities of all living beings.Those who do not study the Dharma
Cannot understand it.
You have already realized
The fact that the Buddhas, the World-Teachers, employ expedients,
According to the capacities of all living beings.
Know that, when you remove your doubts,
And when you have great joy,
You will become Buddhas![Here ends] the First Volume of the Sūtra of the Lotus flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Continuing with tales of the Hoke-kyō (Lotus Sūtra) from Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition (Nihon ryōiki), we consider On Being Repaid Good and Evil for Copying the Hoke-kyō and for Exploiting Others with Heavy Scales.