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.

Last month, I covered the opening of the chapter and Sakyamuni’s explanation of the four things one must do to obtain the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

What comes next is Universal-Sage Bodhisattva’s great vow:

Thereupon Universal-Sage Bodhisattva said to the Buddha:

World-Honored One! If anyone keeps this sutra in the defiled world in the later five hundred years after [your extinction], I will protect him so that he may be free from any trouble, that he may be peaceful, and that no one may take advantage [of his weak points]. Mara, his sons, his daughters, his subjects, his attendant , yaksas, raksasas, kumbhandas, pisacakas, krtyas, putanas, vetadas or other living beings who trouble men shall not take advantage [of his weak points]. If anyone keeps, reads and recites this sutra while he walks or stands, I will mount a kingly white elephant with six tusks, go to him together with great Bodhisattvas, show myself to him, make offerings to him, protect him, and comfort him, because I wish to make offerings to the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. If he sits and thinks over this sutra, I also will mount a kingly white elephant and appear before him. If he forgets a phrase or a gatha of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, I will remind him of it, and read and recite it with him so that he may be able to understand it. Anyone who keeps, reads and recites the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma [after your extinction], will be able to see me with such joy that he will make more efforts. Because he sees me, he will he able to obtain samadhis and a set of dharanis. The set of dharanis will be the dharanis by which he can memorize repetitions of teachings, the dharanis by which he can memorize hundreds of thousands of billions of repetitions of teachings, and the dharanis by which he can understand the expediency of the voice of the Dharma.

Someday I’ll illustrate a great bodhisattva riding a kingly white elephant with six tusks. Each day when I recite the Lotus Sutra in Shindoku in the morning and again in the evening when I recite it in English I remember the promise of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva to ride to my rescue when I stumble and help me understand.

Next month: Captivating women.

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

This is one of my favorite chapters. In the two previous months I covered the most important aspects of this chapter – the role of the children as teachers and the outcome of their effort.

An aspect of this chapter that I haven’t commented on before is the ongoing nature of everything. This is not limited to this chapter. It recurs throughout the Lotus Sutra. What was done before sets the stage for today. And today shapes tomorrow.

At the start we learn:

Innumerable, inconceivable, asamkhya kalpas ago, there lived a Buddha called Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom, the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Samyak-sambuddha. His world was called Light-Adornment; the kalpa in which he lived, Gladly-Seen. Under that Buddha lived a king called Wonderful-Adornment. His wife was called Pure-Virtue. They had two sons, Pure-Store and Pure­Eyes by name. The two sons had great supernatural powers, merits, virtues and wisdom. A long time ago, they had already practiced the Way which Bodhisattva should practice.

In the middle we see:

Thereupon Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom Buddha said to King Wonderful-Adornment, ‘So it is, so it is. It is just as you say. The good men or women who plant the roots of good will obtain teachers in their successive lives. The teachers will do the work of the Buddha, show the Way [to them], teach them, benefit them, cause them to rejoice, and cause them to enter into the Way to Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Great King, know this! A teacher is a great cause [of your enlightenment] because he leads you, and causes you to see a Buddha and aspire for Anuttara­-samyak-sambodhi. Great King! Do you see these two sons of yours, or not? They made offerings to six trillion and five hundred thousand billion Buddhas, that is, as many Buddhas as there are sands in the River Ganges, in their previous existence. They attended on those Buddhas respectfully. They kept the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma under those Buddhas, and caused the people of wrong views to have right views out of their compassion towards them.’

And at the end it is revealed:

The Buddha said to the great multitude:

What do you think of this? King Wonderful-Adornment was no one but Flower-Virtue Bodhisattva of today. Queen Pure-Virtue was no one but the Light-Adornment-Appearance Bodhisattva who is now before me. She appeared in that world out of her compassion towards King Wonderful-Adornment and his attendants. The two sons were Medicine-King Bodhisattva and Medicine-Superior Bodhisattva of today. Medicine-King Bodhisattva and Medicine-Superior Bodhisattva have already obtained those great merits. Because they planted the roots of virtue under many hundreds of thousands of billions of Buddhas [in their previous existence], they obtained those inconceivable merits. All gods and men in the world should bow to those who know the names of these two Bodhisattvas.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow: Neverending.

Day 30 covers all of Chapter 26, Dhāraṇīs

After discussing the merits to be “given to the good men or women who keep, read, recite, understand or copy the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma,” I discussed those offering dharani spells who were singled out to receive merit for their efforts by the Buddha.

But the Dharanis are not given for the purpose of gaining merit. They will protect the teacher of the Dharma.

Thereupon Medicine-King Bodhisattva said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One! Now I will give dharani-spells to the expounder of the Dharma’ in order to protect him.”

Then he uttered spells:

“Ani, mani, manei, mamanei, shirei, sharitei, shamya, shabi-tai, sentei, mokutei, mokutabi, shabi, aishabi, obi, shabi, shaei, ashaei, agini, sentei, shabi, darani, arokya-basai-hahabi-shani, neibitei, abentaraneibitei, atantahareishudai, ukurei, mukurei, ararei, hararei, shukyashi, asammasambi, botsudabikirijittei, darumaharishitei, sogyanekkushanei, bashabashashudai, mantara , mantarashayata, urntaurota, kyosharya, ashara, ashayataya, abaro, amanyanataya”

[He said to the Buddha:]

“World-Honored One! These dharanis, these divine spells, have already been uttered by six thousand and two hundred million Buddhas, that is, as many Buddhas as there are sands in the River Ganges. Those who attack and abuse this teacher of the Dharma should be considered to have attacked and abused those Buddhas.”

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

Yesterday I discussed the transformations of Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva as he expounds the Lotus Sutra in the Saha World. Today, I’ll do the same for Wonderful-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.

Endless-Intent Bodhisattva said to the Buddha:

World-Honored One! How does World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva go about this Saha-World? How does he expound the Dharma to the living beings? What expedients does he employ?

The Buddha said to Endless-Intent Bodhisattva:

Good man! In a certain world, World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva takes the shape of a Buddha and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a Buddha. He takes the shape of a Pratyekabuddha and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a Pratyekabuddha. He takes the shape of a Sravaka and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a Sravaka. He takes the shape of King Brahman and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by King Brahman. He takes the shape of King Sakra and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by King Sakra. He takes the shape of Freedom God and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by Freedom God. He takes the shape of Great-Freedom God and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by Great-Freedom God. He takes the shape of a great general in heaven and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a great general in heaven. He takes the shape of Vaisravana and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by Vaisravana. He takes the shape of the king of a small country and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by the king of a small country. He takes the shape of a rich man and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a rich man. He takes the shape of a householder and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a householder. He takes the shape of a prime minister and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a prime rninister. He takes the shape of a brahmana and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a brahmana. He takes the shape of a bhiksu, a bhiksuni, an upasaka or an upasika and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a bhiksu, a bhiksuni, an upasaka or an upasika. He takes the shape of a wife and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by the wife of a rich man, of a householder, of a prime minister, or of a brahmana. He takes the shape of a boy or a girl and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a boy or a girl. He takes the shape of a god, a dragon, a yaksa, a gandharva, an asura, a garuda, a kimnara, a mahoraga, a human being or a nonhuman being and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by one or another of these living beings. He takes the shape of Vajra-Holding God and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by Vajra­Holding God.

Endless-Intent! This World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva does these meritorious deeds. He takes various shapes, walks about many worlds, and saves the living beings [of those worlds]. Make offerings to World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva with all your hearts! This World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva-mahasattva gives fearlessness [to those who are] in fearful emergencies. Therefore, he is called the “Giver of Fearlessness” in this Saha-World.

Day 28 covers all of Chapter 24, Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva, and concludes the Seventh Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Having last month discussed the etiquette required of great bodhisattvas when they visit the Saha World, I feel compelled to return to the description of the great powers of Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva:

Flower-Virtue! This Wond rful-Voice Bodhisattva already made offerings to innumerable Buddhas, attended on them, and planted the roots of virtue a long time ago. He also already saw hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas of Buddhas, that is, a many Buddhas as there are sands in the River Ganges.

Flower-Virtue! Now you see Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva here and nowhere else. But formerly he transformed himself into various living beings and expounded this sutra to others in various places. He became King Brahman, King Sakra, Freedom God, Great-Freedom God, a great general in heaven, Vaisravana Heavenly-King, a wheel-turning-holy-king, the king of a small country, a rich man, a householder, a prime minister, a brahmana, a bhiksu, a bhiksuni, an upasaka, an upasika, the wife of a rich man, that of a householder, that of a prime minister, that of a brahmana, a boy, a girl, a god, a dragon, a yaksa, a gandharva, an asura, a garuda, a kimnara, a mahoraga, a human being or a nonhuman being. [After he transformed himself into one or another of these living beings,] he expounded this sutra, and saved the hellish denizens, hungry spirits, animals, and all the other living beings in the places of difficulties. When he entered an imperial harem, he became a woman and expounded this sutra.

Flower-Virtue! This Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva protects all living beings in this Saha-World. He transforms himself into one or another of these various living beings in this Saha-World and expounds this sutra to all living beings without reducing his supernatural powers, [his power of] transformation, and his wisdom. He illumines this Saha­World with the many [rays of light] of his wisdom, and causes all living beings to know what they should know. He also does the same in the innumerable worlds of the ten quarters, that is, in as many worlds asthere are sands in the River Ganges. He takes the shape of a Sravaka and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a Sravaka. He takes the shape of a Pratyekabuddha and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a Pratyekabuddha. He takes the shape of another Bodhisattva and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by that Bodhisattva. He takes the shape of a Buddha and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a Buddha. He takes these various shapes according to the capacities of those who are to be saved. He shows his extinction to those who are to be saved by his extinction. Flower-Virtue! Such are the great supernatural powers and the power of wisdom obtained by Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva-mahasattva.

Day 27 concludes Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.

Last month, I looked at the saving power of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. The month before, I focused on the position of the Lotus Sutra in comparison with all of the other sutras.

Eventually I’ll deal with Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva’s penchant for fiery demonstrations of his devotion to Sun-Moon-Pure-Bright-Virtue Buddha, but before that I want to discuss the final message of Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.

Chapter 23 opens with this question:

Star-King-Flower Bodhisattva said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! Why does Medicine-King Bodhisattva walk about this Saha-World? World-Honored One! This Medicine-King Bodhisattva will have to practice hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas of austerities in this world. World-Honored One! Tell me why!

Chapter 23 ends with this:

When the Buddha expounded this chapter of the Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva, eighty-four thousand Bodhisattvas obtained the dharanis by which they could understand the words of all living beings. Many-Treasures Tathagata in the stupa of treasures praised Star-King-Flower Bodhisattva, saying:

Excellent, excellent, Star-King-Flower! You obtained inconceivable merits. You asked this question to Sakyamuni Buddha, and benefited innumerable living beings.

Question Authority was the motto of my generation. In discussing faith in Buddhism, Rev. Ryusho Jeffus from Myosho-ji, Wonderful Voice Buddhist Temple, Charlotte, NC, underscores the need to continue to question:

Questioning the teaching helps to lead to further study and exploration of life, which leads to firmer and stronger faith. In Buddhism faith is actually enhanced by questions and practicing. Faith is one part questioning and another part practicing and applying. I personally believe that we should flee from anyone or any teaching that tries to lie outside the realm of questions. Refusing to answer questions or implying that questioning is wrong or unfaithful should be an automatic warning that something just isn’t quite right.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

Day 26 concludes Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas, includes Chapter 22, Transmission, and introduces Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.

Having discussed the benefits of keeping this sutra and the merits of this sutra to those to whom this sutra is to be transmitted from Chapter 21, it is time to move on to the actual transmission of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma to the Bodhisattvas who had sprung up from underground.

Thereupon Sakyamuni Buddha rose from the seat of the Dharma, and by his great supernatural powers, put his right hand on the heads of the innumerable Bodhisattva-mahasattvas, and said:

For many hundreds of thousands of billions of asamkhyas of kalpas, I studied and practiced the Dharma difficult to obtain, and [finally attained] Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Now I will transmit the Dharma to you. Propagate it with all your hearts, and make it known far and wide!

He put his [right] hand on their heads twice more, and said:

For many hundreds of thousands of billions of asamkhyas of kalpas, I studied and practiced the Dharma difficult to obtain, and [finally attained] Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Now I will transmit [the Dharma] to you. Keep, read, recite and expound [this sutra in which the Dharma is given], and cause all living beings to hear it and know it! Why is that? It is because I have great compassion. I do not begrudge anything. I am fearless. I wish to give the wisdom of the Buddha, the wisdom of the Tathagata, the wisdom of the Self-Existing One, to all living beings. I am the great almsgiver to all living beings. Follow me, and study my teachings without begrudging efforts!

Underline I have great compassion. I do not begrudge anything. I am fearless. I wish to give the wisdom of the Buddha, the wisdom of the Tathagata, the wisdom of the Self-Existing One, to all living beings.

Sakyamuni Buddha continues:

In the future, when you see good men or women who believe in the wisdom of the Tathagata, you should expound this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma to them, and cause them to hear and know [this sutra] so that they may he able to obtain the wisdom of the Buddha. When you see anyone who does not receive [this sutra] by faith, you should show him some other profound teachings of mine, teach him, benefit him, and cause him to rejoice. When you do all this, you will be able to repay the favors given to you by the Buddhas.

The Daily Dharma for Oct. 25, 2015, said of this final point:

Even though they may not be ready to hear the Wonderful Dharma, we can use the Expedient Teachings to prepare them for the Buddha’s highest teaching. When we are assured that countless beings are helping us all to become enlightened, we are less likely to be disappointed in the progress that we see.

Day 25 covers all of Chapter 20, Never-Despising Bodhisattva, and opens Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas.

Having put off discussing Never Despising Bodhisattva last month and the month before, I begin here:

There lived arrogant bhiksu in the age of the counterfeit of the right teachings of the first Powerful-Voice-King Tathagata, that is, after the end of the age of his right teachings which had come immediately after his extinction. [Those arrogant bhiksus] were powerful. At that time there lived a Bodhisattva called Never­Despising. He took the form of a bhiksu.

A Bodhisattva who took the form of a bhiksu. That’s an important fact that underscores the Bodhisattva vow: Sentient beings are innumerable; I vow to save them all. In this case, by choosing to be a bhiksu and suffering the abuse of powerful foes.

Great-Power-Obtainer! Why was this bhiksu called Never-­Despising? lt was because, every time he saw bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas or upasikas, he bowed to them and praised them, saying, ‘I respect you deeply. I do not despise you. Why is that? It is because you will be able to practice the Way of Bodhisattvas and become Buddhas.’

He did not read or recite sutras. He only bowed to the four kinds of devotees. When he saw them in the distance, he went to them on purpose, bowed to them, and praised them, saying, ‘I do not despise you because you can become Buddhas.’

The headquarters of Nichiren Shu in Japan is preparing for the 800th anniversary of his birth in 2022 and recently unveiled a very Never-­Despising greeting for visitors to their website.

Here’s my adaptation of the greeting:

Day 24 concludes Chapter 19, The Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma and closes the Sixth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Of all the merits – eight hundred merits of the eye, twelve hundred merits of the ear, eight hundred merits of the nose, twelve hundred merits of the tongue, eight hundred merits of the body, and twelve hundred merits of the mind – the good men or women who keep, read, recite, expound or copy this sutra will be able to obtain, it’s the merits of the nose that I’d love to have.

Seriously. Just imagine:

He will be able to know by smell
Whether an unborn child is a boy or a girl,
Or a child of ambiguous sex,
Or the embryo of a nonhuman being.

He will be able to know by smell
Whether a woman is an expectant mother,
Or whether she will give an easy birth
To a happy child or not.

He will be able to know by smell
What a man or a woman is thinking of,
Or whether he or she is greedy, ignorant or angry,
Or whether he or she is doing good.

He will be able to recognize by smell
The gold, silver, and other treasures
Deposited underground,
And the things enclosed in a copper box.

He will be able to know by smell
The values of various necklaces,
And the deposits of their materials,
And also to locate the necklaces [ when they are lost].

Back to the serious merits next month.

Day 23 covers all of Chapter 18, The Merits of a Person Who Rejoices at Hearing This Sutra, and opens Chapter 19, The Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma.

Last month, I focused on, as Maitreya asks, “How many merits will be given to a good man or woman who rejoices at hearing this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma?”

This month I’m going to skip the lesson of the 50th person who rejoices and jump to the opening of the next chapter, The Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma.

Thereupon the Buddha said to Constant-Endeavor Bodhisattva­Mahasattva:

“The good men or women who keep, read, recite, expound or copy this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, will be able to obtain eight hundred merits of the eye, twelve hundred merits of the ear, eight hundred merits of the nose, twelve hundred merits of the tongue, eight hundred merits of the body, and twelve hundred merits of the mind. They will be able to adorn and purify their six sense-organs with these merits.

The Daily Dharma for June 4, 2016, offered this on these verses:

The Buddha gives this teaching in Chapter Nineteen of the Lotus Sūtra. This is another reminder that the practice of the Wonderful Dharma does not take us out of the world of conflict we live in. Instead, it helps us to use the senses we have, in ways we did not think were possible, to see the world for what it is. Merits in this sense are not status symbols. They are an indication of clarity, of our faculties not being impeded by anything that blocks their capacity.