I have been using Google’s Gemini to illustrate the Daily Dharma for just 15 days and I’m still learning the problems inherent in having an AI illustrator interpret the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren.

Here’s the text I asked Gemini to illustrate:

Medicine-King! The Bodhisattvas who, having been surprised at hearing this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, doubt and fear it, know this, are beginners in Bodhisattvahood. The Śrāvakas who, having been surprised at hearing this sūtra, doubt and fear it, know this, are men of arrogance.

The Buddha makes this declaration to Medicine-King Bodhisattva in Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. In his earlier teachings, he described the thoughts, words and deeds which would help shed our delusions and remove suffering. Many of those following him came to believe that they were superior to other beings and did not want to waste their time even associating with them much less attempting to save them from their suffering. With this Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha reveals that even the most wicked and deluded among us have the capacity for enlightenment and deserve our respect. The more we resist this teaching, in our thoughts, words and deeds, the farther we place ourselves from the Buddha’s wisdom.

Since I have “Thinking” mode selected, Gemini offers a readout of the creation process:

Focusing on Interpretation

I’m currently focused on the interpretation of the Lotus Sutra passage. The text’s core message regarding doubters is becoming clear, differentiating between beginner and arrogant perspectives. Now I’m grappling with how to best visually represent this duality within a square format.

Interpreting Visuals

I’m now breaking down the passage into concrete visual elements for the square format. Medicine-King Bodhisattva will be central, framed by the two groups of doubters: younger, uncertain Bodhisattvas, and older, dismissive Śrāvakas. The radiating Lotus Sūtra and a glowing Buddha figure will represent the enlightenment message. A contrasting element will show diverse, “wicked” beings with inner buddha-nature, and a path symbolizing the impact of accepting versus rejecting the teaching.

Analyzing Visuals

I’ve just finished the analytical phase and am now transitioning into the visual translation stage. I am now deciding the central figure will be Medicine-King Bodhisattva and the two groups of doubters will be depicted. I am currently considering the representation of “wicked” beings to incorporate diverse, flawed individuals, each possessing a subtle, internal buddha-nature.

Visualizing Buddhist Teachings

I’m now comparing the generated image to the user’s initial instructions, particularly concerning the use of Japanese Buddhist iconography and kanji labels. The composition effectively represents the textual prompt: Buddha’s teachings on Medicine…

Reviewing Iconography’s Precision

I’ve examined the visual representation against the provided text. The image accurately depicts the requested elements, including the kanji labels and the specific Buddhist iconography related to Medicine-King’s teachings. I’m satisfied that the visual composition closely aligns with the user’s initial instructions, particularly concerning the diverging paths representing accepting or rejecting the teachings, and the groups of doubters. The image seems suitable to share.

And, for my purposes, the “thinking” was excellent. It was in the execution that it stepped outside my needs.

The frame around the image contained a number of symbols. At the top center I recognized the svastika (manji in Japanese). I’ve written about this before. See this post. But I had no idea what the symbol in the upper right corner or the bottom center of the frame represented. So I asked Gemini.

1. Symbol in the Upper Right Corner

This character is the Siddham letter “A” (अ).

Meaning: In Buddhism, “A” is the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet and is considered the mother of all other letters and sounds. It symbolizes the origin of all things, the uncreated, and the unborn nature of ultimate reality.

Significance: It represents the fundamental truth that all phenomena are inherently empty of an independent existence. It is often associated with Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana Buddha), the cosmic Buddha who embodies the absolute truth of the universe. Meditating on the letter “A” (Ajikan) is a key practice in Esoteric Buddhism to realize this ultimate reality.

2. Symbol in the Bottom Center

This character is the Siddham seed syllable “Hrih” (ह्रीः), known as Kirīku in Japanese.

Meaning: A “seed syllable” (bīja) is a single syllable that is believed to contain the essence and power of a specific buddha or bodhisattva.

Significance: The syllable “Hrih” is primarily the seed syllable for Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Buddha), the Buddha of Infinite Light and Life who presides over the Western Pure Land. It is also associated with certain forms of Kannon Bosatsu (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva), such as the Thousand-Armed Kannon, who is often seen as an emanation of Amida. Placing it at the bottom center could symbolize the foundation of compassion and the saving power of Amida and Kannon, which are central to many Buddhist practices.

I was willing to allow the Siddham letter “A” (अ) since that represents a fundamental teaching of Buddhism, even though it was associated with Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana Buddha), but I couldn’t have at the center of the bottom frame the “the seed syllable for Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Buddha), the Buddha of Infinite Light and Life who presides over the Western Pure Land.”

I had Gemini edit the illustration to remove the problematic characters before I published it.

In hindsight it was obvious that a collection of Japanese Buddhist iconography was going to include a lot of Dainichi and Amida symbols. To prevent a recurrence, I modified my prompt to add: “Do not use symbols or images representing Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Buddha), the Buddha of Infinite Light and Life, or Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana Buddha), the cosmic Buddha who embodies the absolute truth of the universe.”

We’ll see how that works.