Day 8 concludes Chapter 4, Understanding by Faith, and closes the second volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Before moving on to the gathas, I want to consider this final piece of the prose section:
You once reproached us Sravakas in the presence of the Bodhisattvas because we wished to hear the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle. [At that time we thought that you had taught us only the Lesser Vehicle,] but now we know that you have been teaching us the Great Vehicle from the outset. Therefore, we say that the great treasures of the King of the Dharma have come to us although we did not seek them, and that we have already obtained all that the sons of the Buddha should obtain.
This concept of obtaining the treasures of the rich man as the son of the rich man works nicely to explain the differences between Buddhism and other religions.
Ven. Kenjo Igarashi of the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church explains:
Buddhism is the teaching of the Buddha, just as Christianity is the teaching of Jesus Christ and Islam is the teaching of Mohammad.
Yet, there is one major characteristic that distinguishes Buddhism from the other major religions. Those who embrace Buddhism can also become a Buddha. In Christianity, Judaism and Islam, believers are encouraged to learn the teachings of the founder and to devote themselves to a unique, absolute deity. Nonetheless, these followers cannot become a deity. However, in Buddhism, anyone is said to have the potential to become the Buddha if they awaken to the truth behind the universe and humans beings, which can be understood through studying the teachings of the Buddha.
Ultimately, Buddhism is everyone’s attempt to become a Buddha.
We are the heirs to the storehouse of treasures. We are the sons of the Buddha.