Category Archives: LS32

LS Introduction, LS32, d2b

The Prelude

Sun-Moon-Light Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra prior to entering nirvana, and then assured one of his disciples of his future Buddhahood. The same can be said about Sakyamuni. The Lotus Sutra is the written teachings of Sakyamuni that were expounded prior to his death. In them, he too assured disciples of their future Buddhahood.

Sun-Moon-Light Buddha assigned one of his followers, Wonderful-Light Bodhisattva, to preserve and spread his teachings after he was gone. Likewise, Sakyamuni assigned his followers the task of spreading his teachings in this world after he should enter nirvana. This theme will be developed later, beginning in Chapter Ten, “The Teacher of the Law,” and continuing for many chapters after.

Thus this chapter introduces ideas which serve as a prelude to or foreshadowing of the philosophy of the Lotus Sutra, presenting themes which will gradually unfold in the chapters which follow.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

LS32

Day 1

Day 1 covers the first half of Chapter 1, Introductory

Having last month considered in gāthās the activities of the Bodhisattvas illumined by the light, we conclude today’s portion of Chapter 1.

The supernatural powers of the Buddha
And his wisdom are rare.
He is illumining innumerable worlds
By emitting a pure ray of light.
We were astonished
At seeing [those worlds].

Mañjuśrī, Son of the Buddha!
Remove our doubts!
The four kinds of devotees
Are looking up with joy at you and me,
Wishing to know why this ray of light is emitted
By the World-Honored One.

Son of the Buddha, answer me!
Remove our doubts and cause us to rejoice!
For what purpose is the Buddha
Emitting this ray of light?

Does he wish to expound the Wonderful Dharma
Which he attained when he was sitting
At the place of enlightenment?
Does he wish to assure us of our future Buddhahood?

He shows us the worlds of the Buddhas
Adorned with many treasures.
We can see the Buddhas of those worlds.
This cannot be for some insignificant reason.

Mañjuśrī, know this!
The four kinds of devotees and the dragons
Are looking at you, thinking:
“What is he going to say?”

See In the Buddha’s light

LS Introduction, LS32, d1b

In the Buddha’s light

In the Buddha’s light, the congregation could see that some wise people had given up earthly desires, aware that all forms of existence are as insubstantial as the sky. Others made offerings to the relics of the Buddhas or built monuments (stupas) for them. For those in the congregation who could not make out all the details, the Bodhisattva Maitreya, who is to be our next Buddha, recounted everything he saw. The congregation was amazed at these things and thought there must be some explanation for them. Even Maitreya did not know the answer, so he put the question to Manjusri, who was considered the wisest of all the Buddha’s disciples, wiser, it was said, than any three men.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

LS32

Day 32

Day 32 covers Chapter 28, The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, closing the Eighth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Having last month heard Śākyamuni Buddha praise Universal Sage, we hear Śākyamuni Buddha’s instructions to Universal Sage.

“Universal-Sage! If you see anyone who keeps, reads and recites the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma in the later five hundred years after my extinction, you should think, ‘Before long be will go to the place of enlightenment, defeat Mara and his followers, attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, turn the wheel of the Dharma, beat the drum of the Dharma, blow the conch-shell horn of the Dharma, send the rain of the Dharma, and sit on the lion-like seat of the Dharma in the midst of the great multitude of gods and men.’

See The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva

LS Introduction, LS32, d32b

The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva

The meaning of this chapter’s title is that Universal-Sage Bodhisattva (Samantabhadra) will appear before, protect, and encourage anyone who keeps and practices the Lotus Sutra, and he will have that person aspire to the Way to Buddhahood.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

LS32

Day 31

Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

Having last month heard the sons request permission to renounce the world and practice the Way under that Buddha, the king and queen and their two sons and retainers set off to visit the Buddha.

“Thereupon the [father came to them. The] two sons said to their parents, ‘Excellent, Father and Mother! Go to Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom Buddha, see him, and make offerings to him because to see a Buddha is as difficult as to see an udumbara flower or as for a one-eyed tortoise to find a hole in a floating piece of wood! We accumulated so many merits in our previous existence that we are now able to meet the teachings of the Buddha in this life of ours. Allow us to renounce the world because it is difficult to see a Buddha, and also because it is difficult to have such a good opportunity as this to see him.’

“Thereupon the eighty-four thousand people in the harem of King Wonderful-Adornment became able to keep the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

“Pure-Eyes Bodhisattva had already practiced the samādhi for the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma for a long time. Pure-Store Bodhisattva had already practiced the samādhi for the release from evil regions in order to release all living beings from evil regions for many hundreds of thousands of billions of kalpas.

“Now the queen practiced the samādhi for the assembly of Buddhas, and understood the treasury of their hidden core. The two sons led their father by these expedients and caused him to understand the teachings of the Buddha by faith and to wish [to act according to those teachings].

“Thereupon King Wonderful-Adornment, Queen Pure-Virtue, and their two sons came to that Buddha. The king was accompanied by his ministers and attendants; the queen, by her ladies and attendants; and their two sons, by forty-two thousand men. They worshiped the feet of that Buddha with their heads, walked around the Buddha three times, retired, and stood to one side.

This month I’ve been offering quotes from the Introduction to the Lotus Sutra on each day. The book, however, doesn’t offer anything other than a summary for this day or Day 32. As a result, I’ll be offering quotes not necessarily related to this day’s reading. As I continue over the next several months to post quotes from the Introduction to the Lotus Sutra this will occur more frequently. I’ll return to my previous practice of using Daily Dharma and book quotes appropriate to each day once I’ve finished with the quotes I want to add to my collection.

See The Bodhisattva Vehicle

LS Introduction, LS32, d13b, d14b, d26b, d28b, d29b, d31b, d32b, d5b

The Bodhisattva Vehicle

The Bodhisattva Vehicle includes those who seek or already possess the enlightenment of the Buddha. Although they neither enter into nirvana nor attain the ultimate enlightenment of Sakyamuni, Bodhisattvas share his ideal of working in this world for the salvation of others. In contrast to the Lesser Vehicle, the teaching for Bodhisattvas is called the Great Vehicle, for it seeks to guide all living things to enlightenment, just as a large vehicle can carry many passengers besides the driver.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

LS32

Day 30

Day 30 covers all of Chapter 26, Dhāraṇīs

Having last month received Vaiśravaṇa Heavenly-King’s dhārāṇis, we hear from World-Holding Heavenly-King.

World-Holding Heavenly-King, accompanied by thousands of billions of nayutas of gandharvas who were surrounding him respectfully, came to the Buddha, joined his hands together, and said to him, “World-Honored One! I also will protect the keeper of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma with dhārānis, with divine spells.”

Then he uttered spells,” Akyanei (1), kyanei (2), kuri (3), kendari (4), sendari (5), matōgi (6), jōguri (7), furoshani (8), atchi (9).”

[He said to the Buddha:]

“World-Honored One! These dhārānis, these divine spells, have already been uttered by four thousand and two hundred million Buddhas. Those who attack and abuse this teacher of the Dharma should be considered to have attacked and abused those Buddhas.”

See Dharani Spells

LS Introduction, LS32, d30b

Dharani Spells

In a book called Maha-prajna-paramitopadesa, the great Indian philosopher Nagarjuna (second century) says about dharanis, “If a Bodhisattva obtains the power of dharanis, he will never lose the Dharma from his memory, but will keep it forever.”

This idea was later developed to mean that if someone continues in this practice diligently until he can recite an entire sutra by heart, he will obtain the miraculous power inherent in that sutra. Phrases and words of the sutra are then called dharani-spells. In the Lotus Sutra, the dharani-spells are uttered to protect the practitioners, teachers, and expounders of the Sutra.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

LS32

Day 29

Day 29 covers all of Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.

Having last month concluded the chapter, we begin again at the top of Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.

Thereupon Endless-Intent Bodhisattva rose from his seat, bare j his right shoulder, joined rus hands together towards the Buddha, and said, “World-Honored One! Why is World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva called World-Voice-Perceiver?”

The Buddha said to Endless-Intent Bodhisattva:

“Good man! If many hundreds of thousands of billions of living beings hear [the name of] World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva and call his name with all their hearts when they are under various sufferings, World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva will immediately perceive their voices, and cause them to emancipate themselves [from the sufferings]. Those who keep the name of this World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva will not be burned when they are put into a conflagration [because they are protected] by, the supernatural powers of this Bodhisattva. Those who call his name will be able to take ground when they are washed by an inundation. Suppose hundreds of thousands of billions of living beings are crossing an ocean in order to obtain gold, silver, lapis lazuli, shell, agate, coral, amber pearl, and other treasures, and suppose the ship carrying them is blown to the country of rākṣasa-devils by a storm. If one of the crew calls the name of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva, all the crew will be saved from the attacks of the rākṣasas. Because of this, [this Bodhisattva] is called World-Voice-Perceiver.

See The Many Faces of World-Voice-Perceiver