Category Archives: LS32

Day 13

Day 13 covers all of Chapter 8, The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Five Hundred Disciples.

Having last month considered the prediction for Pūrṇa’s future Buddhahood, we repeat in gāthās the prediction for Pūrṇa’s future Buddhahood.

Thereupon the Buddha, wishing to repeat what he had said, sang in gāthās:

Bhikṣus, listen to me attentively!
The Way practiced by my sons
Is beyond your comprehension
Because they learned how to employ expedients.

Knowing that people wish to hear
The teachings of the Lesser Vehicle,
And that they are afraid of having the great wisdom,
[My sons, that is,] the Bodhisattvas transform themselves
Into Śrāvakas or cause-knowers,
And teach the people with innumerable expedients.

Saying to the innumerable living beings, [for instance,]
“We are Śrāvakas.
We are far from the enlightenment of the Buddha,”
They save them, and cause them to attain [Śrāvakahood]
Even the lazy people who wish to hear the Lesser Vehicle
Will become Buddhas with this expedient in the course of time.

My disciples are performing
The Bodhisattva practices secretly
Though they show themselves in the form of Śrāvakas.
They are purifying my world
Though they pretend to want little
And to shun birth-and-death.
In the presence of the people,
They pretend to have the three poisons and wrong views.
They save them with these expedients.
They change themselves into various forms.
If I speak of all their transformations,
The listeners will doubt me.

Under hundreds of thousands of millions of past Buddhas,
This Pūrṇa practiced strenuously what he should do.
He expounded and protected
The teachings of those Buddhas.

In order to obtain unsurpassed wisdom,
He became the most excellent disciple
Of those Buddhas.
He was learned and wise.
He expounded the Dharma without fear,
And made his listeners rejoice.
He was never tired
Of helping those Buddhas do their work.

He obtained great supernatural powers
And the four kinds of unhindered eloquence.
Seeing who was clever, and who was dull,
He always expounded the Pure Dharma.

He expounded the dharma of the Great Vehicle
To hundreds of thousands of millions of living beings,
And caused them to dwell in the Dharma
So that the worlds of those Buddhas might be purified.

In the future also he will make offerings
To innumerable Buddhas, protect their right teachings,
Help them propagate their teachings,
And purify their worlds.

He will always fearlessly expound the Dharma
With expedients.
He will save countless living beings
And cause them to have the knowledge of all things.

He will make offerings to many Tathāgatas
And protect the treasure-store of the Dharma.
After that he will be able to become a Buddha
Called Dharma-Brightness.

His world will be called Good-Purity.
It will be made of the seven treasures.
His kalpa will be called Treasure-Brightness.
There will be Bodhisattvas [in his world],
Many hundreds of millions in number.
They will have great supernatural powers.
They will be powerful and virtuous.
They will be seen throughout that world.

Innumerable Śrāvakas will organize the Saṃgha.
They will have the three major supernatural powers,
The eight emancipations,
And the four kinds of unhindered eloquence.

The living beings of that world will have no sexual desire.
They will be born without any medium.
They will be adorned with the marks [of the Buddha].
They will not think
Of any other food [than the two kinds of food]:
The delight in the Dharma, and the delight in dhyāna.
There will be neither women nor evil regions
In that world.

Pūrṇa Bhikṣu will be able to obtain
All these merits,
And have his pure world
Inhabited by many sages and saints.
I have innumerable things to say of him.
I have told you only a few of them.

See Correspondences for the Parable of the Priceless Gem

Correspondences for the Parable of the Priceless Gem

According to Tendai’s “Branches of the Lotus Sutra,” the parables are divided into two portions, the exposition and the explanation of correspondences.

Correspondences for the Parable of the Priceless Gem

Just as when a certain man goes to the house of a friend, gets drunk and falls asleep and does not know that his friend, having to go out on official business, has tied a priceless jewel inside his garment as a present, but goes to another country and undergoes great hardship to get food and clothing, the Buddha, when he was a bodhisattva, taught us to conceive the idea of perfect wisdom, but we soon forgot, neither knowing nor perceiving. Having obtained the arhat-way, we said we had reached nirvana; in the hardship of gaining a living we had contented ourselves with a mere trifle.

Just as the friend who gave the jewel happens to meet him later and, seeing his condition, tells him that he has tied a priceless jewel within the man’s garment and that it is still there, our aspirations after perfect wisdom still remain and were never lost; now the World-Honored One arouses us and says, “That which you have obtained is not final nirvana. For long I have caused you to cultivate the roots of buddha-goodness, and through my skillful means have displayed a form of nirvana. However, you have considered it to be the real nirvana you had obtained.”

Just as the friend urges the man to go and exchange that jewel for what he needs, and do whatever he wants, free from all poverty and shortage, now we know we are really bodhisattvas predicted to attain perfect enlightenment. For this cause we greatly rejoice in our unprecedented gain.

Source elements of the Lotus Sutra, p 340-341

Day 12

Day 12 concludes Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City, and completes the Third Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Having last month considered the Brahman-heavenly-kings of the five hundred billion worlds in the zenith pleading with the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma, we consider the 16 śramaṇeras.

“The sixteen princes were young boys at that time. They renounced the world and became śramaṇeras. Their sense organs were keen; and their wisdom, bright. They had already made offerings to hundreds of thousands of billions of Buddhas, performed brahma practices, and sought Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi in their previous existence. They said to the Buddha simultaneously, ‘World-Honored One! All these Śrāvakas of great virtue, many thousands of billions in number, have already done [what they should do]. World-Honored One! Expound to us the teaching of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi! If we hear that teaching, we will study and practice it. World-Honored One! We wish to have the insight of the Tathāgata. You know what we have deep in our minds.’

“Seeing the sixteen princes having renounced the world, eight billion followers of the wheel-turning-holy-king begged the king to allow them to do the same. He conceded to them immediately.

“The Buddha assented to the appeal of the śramaṇeras, but it was twenty thousand kalpas afterwards that he expounded to the four kinds of devotees the sūtra of the Great Vehicle called the ‘Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas.’

“When the Buddha completed the expounding of this sūtra, the sixteen śramaṇeras kept, recited and understood this sūtra in order to attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. The sixteen śramaṇeras, [ who were] Bodhisattvas, received this sūtra by faith. Some Śrāvakas understood it by faith, but the other Śrāvakas and other living beings, thousands of billions in number, doubted it.

See Correspondences for the Parable of the Magic City

Correspondences for the Parable of the Magic City

According to Tendai’s “Branches of the Lotus Sutra,” the parables are divided into two portions, the exposition and the explanation of correspondences.

Correspondences for the Parable of the Magic City

Just as the guide, wise and astute, knows well the perilous road, where it is open and where closed, the Tathāgata is the bhiksus’ great leader acquainted with all the distresses, evils, perils, and long-continued processes of mortality, which they must be rid of and removed from.

Just as along the way, the company he leads becomes tired, and the people tell the leader they wish to turn back, if living beings only hear of the One Buddha Vehicle they will not desire to see the Buddha nor wish to approach him, but think that the Buddha way is long and far, and only after long suffering of arduous labor can the end be reached.

It is just as when that leader, in order to give rest to the company, magically makes a great city and after they are rested informs them: “The Place of Jewels is at hand; this city is not real, but only my magic production,” the Buddha, knowing that the minds of living beings are feeble and low, by his skillful means, when they are on their way, to give them rest preaches the two stages of nirvana. If those beings dwell in these two stages, then the Tathāgata proceeds to tell them: “You have not yet accomplished your task. The place where you are dwelling is near the Buddha wisdom. Take note and ponder that the nirvana which you have attained is not the real one! It is only that the Tathāgata, through his skillful means, in the One Buddha Vehicle discriminates and speaks of three.”

Source elements of the Lotus Sutra, p 339

Day 11

Day 11 continues Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City

Having last month considered what happened when Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, we consider the reaction of the great Brahman-heavenly-kings of the five hundred billion worlds in the southeast.

“Bhikṣus! The great Brahman-[heavenly-]kings of the five hundred billion worlds in the southeast, who saw their palaces illumined more brightly than ever, danced with joy. They also wondered why [their palaces were so illumined]. They visited each other and discussed the reason. There was a great Brahman-heavenly-king called Great-Compassion among them. He said to the other Brahmans in gāthās:

Why is it
That we see this light?
Our palaces are illumined
More brightly than ever.

Did a god of great virtue or a Buddha
Appear somewhere in the universe?
We have never seen this [light] before.
Let us do our best to find [the reason].

Let us go even to the end of one thousand billion worlds,
And find the place from where this light has come.
A Buddha may have appeared somewhere in the universe
In order to save the suffering beings.

“Thereupon the Brahman-heavenly-kings of the five hundred billion [ worlds] went to the northwest, carrying flower-plates filled with heavenly flowers, in order to find [the place from where the light had come]. Their palaces also moved as they went. They [reached the Well-Composed World and] saw that Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata was sitting on the lion-like seat under the Bodhi tree of the place of enlightenment, surrounded respectfully by gods, dragon-kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, men, and nonhuman beings. They also saw that the sixteen princes were begging the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma. Thereupon the Brahman-heavenly-kings worshipped the Buddha with their heads, walked around him a hundred thousand times, and strewed heavenly flowers to him. The strewn flowers were heaped up to the height of Mt. Sumeru. The Brahman-heavenly-kings offered flowers also to the Bodhi-tree of the Buddha. Having offered flowers, they offered their palaces to the Buddha, saying, ‘We offer these palaces to you. Receive them and benefit us out of your compassion towards us!’ In the presence of the Buddha, they simultaneously praised him in gāthās with all their hearts:

Saintly Master, God of Gods!
Your voice is as sweet as a kalavinka’s.
You have compassion towards all living beings.
We now bow before you.
You, the World-Honored One, are exceptional.
You appear only once in a very long time.

No Buddha has appeared
For the past one hundred and eighty kalpas.
The three evil regions are crowded;
And the living beings in heaven, decreasing.

Now you have appeared in this world
And become the eye of all living beings.
As their refuge, you are saving them.
As their father, you are benefiting them
Out of your compassion towards them.
We are now able to see you
Because we accumulated merits
In our previous existence.

“Thereupon the Brahman-heavenly-kings, having praised the Buddha with these gāthās, said, ‘World-Honored One! Turn the wheel of the Dharma and save all living beings out of your compassion towards them!’ Then they simultaneously said in gāthās with all their hearts:

Great Saint, turn the wheel of the Dharma
And reveal the reality of all things!
Save the suffering beings
And cause them to have great joy!

If they hear the Dharma, some will attain enlightenment;
Others will be reborn in heaven.
The living beings in the evil regions will decrease;
And those who do good patiently will increase.

“Thereupon Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata gave his tacit consent to their appeal.

See Gone to the Other Shore

Day 10

Day 10 concludes Chapter 6, Assurance of Future Buddhahood, and opens Chapter 7, The Parable of a Magic City.


Having last month considered a Buddha called Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence, we consider the period before Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence became a Buddha.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

“The duration of the life of Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha was five hundred and forty billion nayuta kalpas. [Before he attained Buddhahood,] he sat at the place of enlightenment and defeated the army of Mara. He wished to attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, but could not because the Dharma of the Buddhas had not yet come into his mind. He sat cross-legged without moving his mind and body for one to ten small kalpas. During all that time the Dharma of the Buddhas did not come into his mind.

“[Before he sat at the place of enlightenment,] the Trāyastriṃs̒a Gods prepared him a lion-like seat a yojana high under the Bodhi tree so that he might be able to attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi on that seat. When he sat on that seat, the Brahman-heavenly-kings rained heavenly flowers on the area extending a hundred yojanas in all directions from that seat. From time to time withered flowers were blown away by fragrant winds and new flowers were rained down. [The Brahman-heavenly-kings] continued this offering to him for fully ten small kalpas. [After he attained Buddhahood also,] they continued raining flowers until he passed away.

“[When he sat on that seat,] the four heavenly-kings beat heavenly drums, and the other gods made heavenly music and offered it to him. They continued these offerings also for fully ten small kalpas. [After he attained Buddhahood also,] they continued these offerings until he passed away.

See Ten Epithets of the Buddha

Day 9

Day 9 covers Chapter 5, The Simile of Herbs, and introduces Chapter 6, Assurance of Future Buddhahood.

Having last month repeated in gāthās the Buddha’s reticence on revealing the reality of all things, we consider the rain cloud of the Dharma.

Kāśyapa, know this!
Suppose a large cloud rose in the sky,
And covered everything on the earth.
The cloud was so merciful
That it was about to send a rainfall.
Lightning flashed,
And thunder crashed in the distance,
Causing people to rejoice.

The cloud covered the sun,
And cooled the earth.
It hung down
As low as if we could reach it.

Now the rain came down
To all the quarters of the earth.
The rainwater was immeasurable.
It soaked all the earth.
There were many plants
In the retired and quiet places
Of the mountains, rivers and ravines.

They were herbs, cereal-plants, young rice-plants,
Vegetables, sugar canes, and other grasses;
Fruit-trees including vines,
And other trees, tall and short.
They were sufficiently watered by the rain.
So were all the dry lands.

The herbs and trees grew thick by the rain.
All the grasses and trees in thickets and forests
Were watered variously according to their species
By the rain water of the same taste
Coming down from the [same] cloud.

All the trees grew differently
According to their species.
They became superior or middle or inferior
Or tall or short trees.

The roots, trunks, branches, leaves,
Flowers and fruits of the various trees
Were given a fine and glossy luster
By the same rain.

Although watered by the same rain,
Some of them were tall, while others not,
Because they were different
In their entities, appearances and natures.

See Correspondences for the Simile of the Herbs

Correspondences for the Simile of the Herbs

According to Tendai’s “Branches of the Lotus Sutra,” the parables are divided into two portions, the exposition and the explanation of correspondences.

Correspondences for the Simile of the Herbs

Just as the great cloud rises, the Tathāgata appears in the world.

Just as the great cloud everywhere covers the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world, the Tathāgata universally extends his great call over the world of gods, men, and asuras.

Just as the cloud pours down its rain equally at the same time, the Tathāgata sounds forth these words:

“I am the Tathāgata, the Worshipful, the All Wise, the Perfectly Enlightened in Conduct, the Well Departed, the Understander of the World, the Peerless Leader, the Controller, the Teacher of Gods and Men, the Buddha, the World-honored One. Those who have not yet been saved I cause to be saved; those who have not yet been set free to be set free; those who have not yet been comforted to be comforted; those who have not yet obtained nirvana to obtain nirvana. I know the present world and the world to come as they really are, I am the All Knowing, the All Seeing, the Knower of the Way, the Opener of the Way, the Preacher of the Way. Come to me, all you gods, men and asuras, to hear the Law.”

The mountains, rivers and streams, valleys, and land of the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world represent the uncountable thousands of millions of varieties of living beings who go where the Buddha is and hear his teachings. Just as there are plants, trees, thickets, forests, and medicinal herbs, of various and numerous kinds, with names and colors all different, the natural powers of living beings are keen or dull, zealous or indifferent; the Buddha therefore preaches the Dharma to them in various ways unstintingly, causing them to rejoice and joyfully gain good profit. Just as the dense cloud pours down its rain equally at the same time, and its moisture fertilizes every tree, big or little, according to its superior, middle, or lower capacity, and from the rain of one cloud, each according to the nature of its kind acquires its development, opening its blossoms and bearing its fruit, all the living beings, having heard the Dharma, are comforted in the present life and will afterward be reborn in happy states, made joyful by the truth and also enabled to hear the Dharma. Having heard the Dharma, they are freed from hindrances, and according to their capacity in all the laws, they gradually enter the way.

Just as these trees and plants are produced in one soil and moistened by the same rain, the Dharma preached by the Tathāgata is of one form and flavor, that is to say, deliverance, abandonment, extinction, and finally the attainment of perfect knowledge.

Just as what the trees and plants receive is different, if there are living beings who hear the Dharma of the Tathāgata and keep, read, recite, and practice it as he preaches, they cannot know the merits they have achieved. Why? Only the Tathāgata knows the seed, the form, the embodiment, and the nature of all these living things, what things they are reflecting over, what things they are thinking, what things practicing, how reflecting, how thinking, how practicing, by what laws reflecting, by what laws thinking, by what laws practicing, and by what laws attaining to what laws. Only the Tathāgata in reality sees, clearly and without hindrance, the stages in which all living beings are.

Just as those plants, trees, thickets, forests, medicinal herbs, and others do not know their own natures, superior, middle, or inferior, the Tathāgata knows the Dharma of one form and one taste, that is to say, deliverance, abandonment, extinction, final nirvana of eternal tranquility, ending in return to the void. The Buddha, knowing this and observing the dispositions of all living beings, supports and protects them. Therefore, he does not immediately declare to them the complete and perfect wisdom.

Source elements of the Lotus Sutra, p 336-337

Day 8

Day 8 concludes Chapter 4, Understanding by Faith, and closes the second volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Having last month concluded today’s portion of Chapter 4, Understanding by Faith, we begin again at the top and consider the expedient the rich man used to persuade his son to come to him.

Thereupon the rich man thought of an expedient to persuade his son to come to him. He [wished to] dispatch messengers in secret. He said to two men looking worn-out, powerless and virtueless, ‘Go and gently tell the poor man that he will be employed here for a double day’s pay. If he agrees with you, bring him here and have him work. If he asks you what work he should do, tell him that he should clear dirt and that you two also will work with him.’
“The two messengers looked for the poor son. Having found him, they told him what they had been ordered to tell. The poor son [came back with them,] drew his pay in advance, and cleared dirt with them. Seeing him, the father had compassion towards him, and wondered [why he was so base and mean]. Some days later he saw his son in the distance from the window. The son was weak, thin, worn-out, and defiled with dirt and dust. The father took off his necklace, his garment of thin and soft cloth, and other ornaments. He put on tattered and dirty clothing, smeared himself with dust, and carried a dirt-utensil in his right hand. He looked fearful. He [came to the workers and] said, ‘Work hard! Do not be lazy!’

“With this expedient the father came to his son. He said to him, ‘Man! Stay here and work! Do not go anywhere else! I will pay you more. Do not hesitate to take trays, rice, flour, salt and vinegar as much as you need! You can have an old servant if you want to. Make yourself at home! I feel like your father. Do not worry any more! I am old, and you are young. When you work, you do not deceive [the other workers]. You are not lazy. You do not get angry [with the other workers], or reproach them. You are not like the other workers who do these evil things. From now on I will treat you as my son.’

“The rich man gave him a name and called him son. The poor son was glad to be treated kindly, but still thought that he was a humble employee. Therefore, the rich man had him clear dirt for twenty years. After that the father and son trusted each other. Now the son felt no hesitation in entering the house of his father, but still lodged in his old place.

See Correspondences to the Parable of the Rich Man and His Poor Son

Correspondences to the Parable of the Rich Man and His Poor Son

According to Tendai’s “Branches of the Lotus Sutra,” the parables are divided into two portions, the exposition and the explanation of correspondences.

Correspondences to the Parable of the Rich Man and His Poor Son

Just as the very rich elder said, “This is my son,” the Tathāgata has declared that we are his sons.

Just as the son fainted from fear when taken by the messengers sent by his father, we have borne all kinds of torments in the midst of birth-death because of the three sufferings, and because of our delusion and ignorance we have enjoyed our attachment to inferior dharmas.

Just as the father sent two ill-looking messengers to get his son to work for him, the Tathāgata has caused us to remove the dirt of diverting discussions over the various dharmas. We have been diligent in our progress and have received the day’s hire of reaching nirvana.

Just as the father and the son for twenty years built up confidence, but the son remains in his original place, the Tathāgata, knowing that our minds were attached to desires and delighted in inferior dharmas, let us go our own way; he did not discriminate against us, saying: “You possess the treasury of Tathāgata knowledge.”

Just as when the elder, intending to give the son all his treasures, made him supervisor, but the son did not expect to receive even a single meal, the Buddha through his skillful means speaks of the Tathāgata wisdom but we, following the Buddha, accept the day’s hire of nirvana, are satisfied with that, and do not seek out the Great Vehicle. We have also declared and expounded the Tathāgata wisdom for the sake of bodhisattvas, but the Buddha, knowing that our minds delight in inferior things, has through his skillful means taught according to our capacity. We still did not perceive that we were really the sons of the Buddha.

Just as the elder, as death approached, called his relatives and the kings together and declared that this was his real son to whom he would bequeath all his wealth, the Tathāgata does not begrudge the Buddha wisdom; from old we have delighted in inferior things although we were the Buddha’s sons. If we had a mind to take pleasure in the Great Vehicle, the Buddha would have taught the Great Vehicle to us. Now in this sutra he preaches the sole One Vehicle.

Thus, just as the son was overjoyed hearing his father’s words and finding the treasures had come of themselves to him, we, though having no mind to hope or expect it, now have a great treasure of the king of the Dharma come of itself to us. Such things that Buddha-sons should obtain, we have obtained.

Source elements of the Lotus Sutra, p 334-335