The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law Chapter 23 The Former Lives of the Bodhisattva Medicine King (2)
This is the 118th installment of a detailed commentary on the Threefold Lotus Sutra by the founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, Rev. Nikkyo Niwano.
TEXT Having attained this contemplation [the Bodhisattva Loveliness] was very joyful and reflected thus, saying: 'My attainment of the contemplation of revelation of all forms is entirely due to the power [resulting] from hearing the Dharma Flower Sutra. Let me now pay homage to the Buddha Sun Moon Brilliance and the Dharma Flower Sutra.'
COMMENTARY Reflected. In the original Chinese text, the word translated here as "reflected" means literally "speaking to oneself." It clearly shows how much people depend on words when they think. In this case, the bodhisattva silently affirms his devotion.
TEXT No sooner did he enter into this contemplation than [he] rained from the sky mandarava flowers, maha-mandarava flowers, and fine powder of hard and black sandalwood, which filled the sky and descended like a cloud; [he] rained also incense of inner-seashore sandalwood; six karshas of this incense are worth a saha world. [All this he did] in homage to the Buddha.
COMMENTARY Enter into this contemplation. This contemplation is the samadhi of paying homage. The bodhisattva concentrated on offering wholehearted devotion and gratitude to the Buddha and the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. · Mandarava flowers, maha-mandarava flowers. These are flowers that bloom in the realm of the gods and are believed to be so beautiful that whoever sees them cannot help being delighted in spirit. · Fine powder of hard and black sandalwood. Powdered sandalwood makes superior incense. · Inner-seashore sandalwood. This is an extremely precious variety of sandalwood. In the ancient Indian view of the world, the center of the world is Mount Sumeru, which is surrounded by seas, in which there are four continents. The southern continent is where human beings live and is called Jambudvipa in Sanskrit. It was said that the "inner-seashore," facing Mount Sumeru, was the coast of the continent of human beings, and along it grew sandalwood trees of exquisite fragrance. · Six karshas of this incense are worth a saha world. Even six karshas, a light measure of weight, of this incense are as valuable as the earth itself.
TEXT "Having made this offering, he arose from contemplation and reflected within himself, thus saying: 'Though I by my supernatural power have paid homage to the Buddha, it is not as good as offering my body.'
COMMENTARY By my supernatural power. This divine power is of a kind that can be manifested through contemplation, of a kind that causes the flowers of heaven or fine incense to come falling down. · Offering my body. This means an offering of self-sacrifice. The most realistic manifestation of this is acceptance of hardships in practicing the teachings.
TEXT Thereupon he partook of many kinds of incense - sandalwood, kunduruka, turushka, prikka, aloes, and resin incense - and drank the essential oil of the campaka and other flowers. After fully twelve hundred years, he anointed his body with perfumed unguents, and in the presence of the Buddha Sun Moon Brilliance wrapped himself in a celestial precious garment, bathed in perfumed oil, and by his transcendent vow burned his own body. Its brightness universally illuminated worlds fully numerous as the sands of eighty kotis of Ganges rivers,
COMMENTARY Kunduruka, turushka, prikka. These are various kinds of incense. · Aloes. This is a fragrant wood heavy enough to sink in water. · Resin. This is also an incense from another variety of aromatic tree said to be similar to maples. · Campaka. This is a fragrant flower from which perfume is made.
Burning many kinds of incense and drinking the aromatic oil of flowers symbolize purifying oneself. This symbolic deed teaches us that we must first purify our conduct before paying homage to the Buddha.
Here we learn that in his desire to obtain divine powers, he made offerings to the Buddha. The "transcendent vow" does not mean that he uses these divine powers for himself, but for dissemination of the Buddha Dharma. Obtaining divine powers and freely proclaiming and spreading the teachings of the Buddha are the greatest homage one can pay to the Buddha.
TEXT whose buddhas simultaneously extolled him, saying: 'Good, good! Good son! This is true zeal and the truest devotion to the Tathagata.
COMMENTARY Zeal. This means single-hearted devotion to an endeavor for a correct purpose in Buddhism. However much one might endeavor, if the goal is not good, it is not zeal in a good cause. However admirable one's purpose, half-hearted efforts are not zealous. People today should give particular thought to this. · The truest devotion to the Tathagata. As we noted earlier (see the October-December 2013 issue of Dharma World), there are various ways to worship the Buddha, and the truest is to vividly demonstrate the wonders of the Buddha Dharma to humanity through acts of self-sacrifice and inspiring devotion to him.
Before, we read that the Bodhisattva Loveliness immolated himself, and that the bright flames of his immolation universally illuminated worlds as numerous as the sands of eighty kotis of Ganges rivers. This means that the minds of people in that vast realm were purified by the beauty of the act of the Bodhisattva Loveliness, inspiring their devotion to the Buddha Dharma.
An act of self-sacrifice to spread the teachings of the Buddha lights up the darkness of this world and fills people with radiance. We should take very careful note of these words.
TEXT Offerings of flowers, scents, necklaces, incense, sandal powder, unguents, banners and canopies of celestial silk, and incense of inner-seashore sandalwood, offerings of such various things as these cannot match it, nor can the giving of alms, countries, cities, wives, and children match it.
COMMENTARY These words are of course a continuation of the praises of the various buddhas. They emphasize that "worship through offerings" and "worship through reverence," which could be figurative - for example, offering one's wife and children in the service of the buddha - do not surpass "worship through deeds" which is practice of the teachings.
TEXT My good son! This is called the supreme gift, the most honored and sublime of gifts, because it is the Dharma homage to the tathagatas.'
COMMENTARY This passage declares clearly the highest form of donation.
TEXT After making this statement they all fell silent.
"His body continued burning for twelve hundred years, after which his body came to an end. COMMENTARY Silent. When we read this passage we are of course grateful for the Buddha's preaching of the Dharma, but we are also struck deep within our hearts by the immeasurably deep meaning of the Buddha sitting silently.
This is important even in maintaining our daily practices. We should always set aside moments for sitting silently. At such times our consciousness deepens and concentrates on one thing that is invisible. It is a precious thing.
TEXT "The Bodhisattva Loveliness, after making such a Dharma offering as this, on his death was again born in the domain of the Buddha Sun Moon Brilliance, being suddenly metamorphosed, sitting cross-legged in the house of King Pure Virtue, to [whom as] his father he forthwith spoke thus in verse:
'Know, O great king! Sojourning in that other abode, I instantly attained the contemplation of The revelation of all forms, And devotedly performed a deed of great zeal By sacrificing the body I loved.' COMMENTARY We have discussed rebirth, or transmigration, in detail in an earlier section (the November/December 1998 issue of Dharma World), and in this instance the Bodhisattva Loveliness, in reward for his supreme act of self-sacrifice for the Dharma, is reborn as a prince.
That he was reborn sitting cross-legged, or in the lotus position, means symbolically that he was reincarnated with mastery of the Buddha Dharma and the possession of exalted virtues. His immediately speaking to his father in verse means that even as a child he had the power to instruct adults, such as his parents.
Therefore, we should not assume that our children are inferior or decide unilaterally that we should be leaders and our children followers. We are often taught and led by our children, so it is important always to listen with humility to what they say and watch over what they do. · That other abode. This refers to the abode of the Buddha Sun Moon Brilliance. · Devotedly performed. "To devotedly perform" means to do something diligently, wholeheartedly, and steadfastly. · By sacrificing the body I loved. This is a truly significant expression. Everyone holds himself or herself dear. As a living being it is instinctual to think of oneself as the most important being in the world.
Human beings, however, differ from other living things in possessing a spirit and engaging in community life, which is based on mutual assistance, consideration, and prosperity for all. Since human beings are a higher form of life, they often must sacrifice that precious self. As I have just pointed out, whether to a greater or lesser degree, society is possible because people are willing to make sacrifices for one another. If we were not willing to do that, our way of life would be no different from that of birds, beasts, and insects.
TEXT "After uttering this verse, he spoke to his father, saying: 'The Buddha Sun Moon Brilliance is still existing as of yore. Having first paid homage to that buddha, I obtained the dharani of interpreting the utterances of all the living, and moreover heard this Dharma Flower Sutra [in] eight hundred thousand myriad kotis [of] nayutas, kankaras, vimbaras, akshobhyas of verses. Great King! I ought now to return and pay homage to that buddha.'
COMMENTARY The dharani of interpreting the utterances of all the living. This is the power of clearly understanding the spoken words of all living beings, which enables religious leaders to adapt their teaching to the capacities of all people so that they will keep what is good and discard what is evil. · Nayutas, kankaras, vimbaras, akshobhyas. Each of these is an infinite large unit of measure. The Lotus Sutra clearly does not have an infinite number of verses. As I have noted repeatedly, the Lotus Sutra referred to in this instance is not the scripture but the quintessence of the Buddha's teachings, the supreme Dharma which he taught. An infinite number of teachings spring forth from the Dharma, and because the Buddha is the one who imparts them, his teachings are referred to as the nayutas, kankaras, vimbaras, and akshobhyas of verses in the passage.
TEXT Having said this, he thereupon took his seat on a pedestal of the precious seven, arose in the sky as high as seven tala trees, and on reaching that Buddha, bowed down to his feet, and extolled the Buddha in verse:
COMMENTARY Seven tala trees. The tala is a variety of tall hemp palm. The tala was used in India as a unit of measure. Seven times the height of this tall tree would be, in other words, high up in the sky.
TEXT 'Countenance most wonderful, / Radiance illuminating the universe: / Formerly I paid homage to thee, / Now again I return to be in close fellowship with the Buddha.'
COMMENTARY Wonderful. The Chinese for this word is ch'i-miao, which means rare, exceptional, beautiful, and precious beyond words.
TEXT "Then the Bodhisattva Loveliness, having uttered this verse, spoke to that Buddha, saying: 'World-honored One! The World-honored One is still present in the world.'
COMMENTARY At a glance, this simply means that the World-honored One is still dwelling in this world. But included within these words is emotion beyond measure. The disciple's unspoken longing desire, thirsting heart, and reverence for the Buddha permeate these simple words.
His feelings of longing for the Buddha and the Buddha's compassion for living beings are perfectly blended in an exquisite state of religious exultation.
TEXT "Thereupon the Buddha Sun Moon Brilliance addressed the Bodhisattva Loveliness: 'My good son! The time of my nirvana has come. The time of my extinction has arrived. You may arrange my bed. Tonight I shall enter parinirvana.'
COMMENTARY This scene reminds us of the close relationship between Shakyamuni and his attendant Ananda in the Kushinagara forest when Shakyamuni died. · The time of my nirvana has come. This is parinirvana, in other words, leaving this world. · The time of my extinction has arrived. This also means that his life in this world is at an end and he will enter extinction.
TEXT Again he commanded the Bodhisattva Loveliness: 'My good son! I commit the Buddha Dharma to you. And I deliver to you all [my] bodhisattvas and chief disciples, [my] Dharma of Perfect Enlightenment, also [my] three-thousand-great-thousandfold world [made] of the precious seven, [its] jewel trees and jewel pedestals, and my celestial attendants. I also entrust to you whatever relics may remain after my extinction. Let them be distributed and paid homage to far and wide. Let some thousands of stupas be erected.'
COMMENTARY Commit. As was explained in detail in chapter 22, "The Final Commission," this means to entrust something into the care of another, to delegate to another a task that is arduous. · Dharma of Perfect Enlightenment. This refers to the teaching for attaining the Buddha's wisdom and enlightenment. · Jewel trees and jewel towers. Of course this means wonderful trees and towers, but it also connotes a place where one awakens to enlightenment, as described at the beginning of the present chapter, "The Former Lives of the Bodhisattva Medicine King," where the text says "under all these jewel trees bodhisattvas and shravakas were seated." · Attendants. This means those who attend the Buddha and perform various services. But this is following his extinction, so it is better to interpret this as rendering service to protect the Buddha Dharma and spread its teachings widely. · Stupas be erected. The Buddha tells the Bodhisattva Loveliness to let his relics be distributed and receive homage far and wide, but he means to cause, through this homage, all living beings to cherish a deep longing, a thirsting heart, and reverence for the Buddha.
He also tells the bodhisattva to build stupas, and by this he means for all living beings to engrave the teachings in their minds. The stupas are to be built for the purpose of extolling the Buddha's virtues. If a stupa is built with concern only for its form and appearance and without the spirit of engraving the teachings in people's minds, the act of building it would not accord with the Buddha's mind. The Buddha is pleased by true substance rather than form, by actual practice rather than empty theory.
It is most regrettable that the stupas we find here and there today have degenerated into objects of art appreciation and tourist destinations. At the very least, it is to be hoped that people who visit and appreciate these stupas are told the true meaning of a stupa.
TEXT The Buddha Sun Moon Brilliance, having thus commanded the Bodhisattva Loveliness, in the last division of the night entered into nirvana.
COMMENTARY People who have attained great virtue through the accumulation of religious practices can become clearly aware of the approach of their own death. This is obviously true of buddhas, and was true of the Buddha Sun Moon Brilliance, who became extinct at the date and time he had predicted, as did Shakyamuni.
TEXT "Thereupon the Bodhisattva Loveliness, seeing the buddha was extinct, mourned, was deeply moved and distressed, and ardently longed for him. Then piling up a pyre of inner-seashore sandalwood, he paid homage to the body of that buddha and burned it. After the fire died out he gathered the relics, made eighty-four thousand precious urns, and erected eighty-four thousand stupas higher than a threefold world, adorned with banner towers, hung with banners and canopies and with many precious bells.
COMMENTARY "Eighty-four thousand" indicates a very large number. The teachings imparted by the Buddha are called "the eighty-four thousand doctrines." The bodhisattva's making of the eighty-four thousand precious urns and building a stupa for each one symbolizes his endeavor to establish the teachings permanently in every country so that everyone, everywhere, would revere, commemorate, and extol the virtues of the Buddha Sun Moon Brilliance.
TEXT Then the Bodhisattva Loveliness again reflected within himself, saying: 'Though I have paid this homage, my mind is not yet satisfied. Let me pay still further homage to the relics.'
COMMENTARY Further homage to the relics. He wishes to pay even deeper homage by superior means rather than only to pay homage once more.
TEXT Thereupon he addressed the bodhisattvas and chief disciples, as well as gods, dragons, yakshas, and all the host, saying: 'Pay attention with all your mind, [for] I am now about to pay homage to the relics of the Buddha Sun Moon Brilliance.'
COMMENTARY Pay attention with all your mind, [for] I am now about to pay homage to the relics of the Buddha Sun Moon Brilliance. When we interpret these words, we see that they mean, "Everyone, consider this carefully. I will now pay homage to the relics of the Buddha Sun Moon Brilliance, and I want you to think very carefully about the meaning of my homage."
TEXT Having said this, he thereupon before the eighty-four thousand stupas burned off his arms, with their hundred felicitous signs, for seventy-two thousand years in homage to him, and led a numberless host of seekers after shravakaship and countless asamkhyeyas of people to set their minds on Perfect Enlightenment, causing them all to abide in the contemplation of revelation of all forms.
COMMENTARY His arms, with their hundred felicitous signs. His arms are beautifully adorned with every blessed sign.
The latter half of the passage above will be better understood in the following way. He "led a numberless host of seekers after shravakaship to set their minds on Perfect Enlightenment." That is, the bodhisattva encouraged shravakas, who had wished to study the Buddha's teachings in order to rid themselves of delusion and defilement, to seek a higher state, the supreme enlightenment attained by the Buddha.
Naturally, the "countless asamkhyeyas of people" are the innumerable bodhisattvas and he caused them "to abide in the contemplation of the revelation of all forms." In other words, these bodhisattvas were enabled to abide in that exalted state of contemplation.
It is certainly true that to extol the virtues of the Buddha worldwide, to spread his teachings and ensure that they will be preserved forever, is great homage to the Buddha. However, for true practitioners of the Lotus Sutra, that is still insufficient. Needless to say, the greatest homage they can pay to the Buddha is to practice his teachings assiduously.
Therefore, the Bodhisattva Loveliness burned off his arms. In other words, he devoted himself to practice of the teachings without thought of what might happen to him. His practice became a great light that illuminated the darkness of people's minds. People thereby came to recognize that they were mired in an unenlightened state of mind, and they aspired to and attained an exalted state.
This vividly shows us the great power of the merit of assiduous practice of the teachings.
TEXT "Then all those bodhisattvas, gods, men, asuras, and others, seeing him without arms, were sorrowful and distressed and lamented, saying: 'This Bodhisattva Loveliness is indeed our teacher and instructor, but now his arms are burned off and his body is deformed.' Thereupon the Bodhisattva Loveliness in the great assembly made this vow, saying: 'Having given up both my arms, I shall [yet] assuredly obtain a buddha's golden body. If this [assurance] be true and not false, let both my arms be restored as they were before.'
COMMENTARY 'Having given up both my arms, I shall [yet] assuredly obtain a buddha's golden body.' After sacrificing himself to practice the teachings of the Buddha, he has awakened to his own buddha-nature (the golden body of the Buddha), which is at one with the Original Buddha.
TEXT As soon as he had made this vow, [his arms] were of themselves restored, [all] brought to pass through the excellence of this bodhisattva's felicitous virtue and wisdom. At that moment the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world was shaken in the six ways, the sky rained various precious flowers, and gods and human beings all attained that which they had never before experienced."
COMMENTARY The restoration of the Bodhisattva Loveliness's arms symbolizes that the self will never be harmed or lose anything through an act of self-sacrifice.
It is true that since people have physical bodies they are subject to physical laws, but their true nature, which is their buddha-nature, is not. So although the physical body may be harmed or diminished, the buddha-nature - the intrinsic quality of humankind - is neither harmed nor diminished at all.
People who fully realize this truth can remain serene because they are fully aware that however great their self-sacrifice, their true nature is the golden body that is the buddha-nature itself.
TEXT The Buddha [then] addressed the Bodhisattva Star Constellation King Flower: "What is your opinion? Was the Bodhisattva Loveliness some other person? It was indeed the present Medicine King Bodhisattva. His self-sacrifice and gifts were of such countless hundred thousand myriad kotis of nayutas in number as these.
COMMENTARY For the first time Shakyamuni revealed that these were things done by the Bodhisattva Medicine King in a past life. It signifies, in other words, that because the Bodhisattva Medicine King obtained these divine powers through that sequence of causes and events, he is freely preaching the Dharma in this saha world and liberating multitudes of people.
After finishing this preliminary narrative, the Buddha teaches the following.
TEXT Star Constellation King Flower! If anyone with his mind set on and aiming at Perfect Enlightenment is able to burn off the fingers of his hand or even a toe of his foot in homage to a buddha's stupa, he will surpass him who pays homage with domains, cities, wives, children, and his three-thousand-great-thousandfold land with its mountains, forests, rivers, pools, and all of the precious things.
COMMENTARY Able to burn off the fingers of his hand or even a toe of his foot in homage to a buddha's stupa. To actually practice the teachings of the Buddha in a way that involves even a small sacrifice of the self is a significant way of paying homage to the Buddha.
Such homage is superior to every kind of material offering.
TEXT "Again, if anyone offers a three-thousand-great-thousandfold world full of the seven precious things in homage to buddhas, great bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and arhats, the merit this man gains is not equal to the surpassing happiness of him who received and keeps but a single fourfold verse of this Dharma Flower Sutra.
COMMENTARY Arhats. Arhats are people devoid of all delusions and worthy of the world's respect, and "arhats" here refers to shravakas, who are often mentioned with bodhisattvas and pratyekabuddhas. · A single fourfold verse. This is a verse in four lines, like one we have just read:
'Countenance most wonderful, Radiance illuminating the universe: Formerly I paid homage to thee, Now again I return to be in close fellowship with the Buddha.' TEXT "Star Constellation King Flower! Suppose just as amongst all brooks, streams, rivers, canals, and all other waters the sea is supreme, so is it also with this Dharma Flower Sutra; amongst all the sutras preached by tathagatas it is the profoundest and greatest.
COMMENTARY Now begins a series of ten similes which signify just how wonderful the Lotus Sutra is. The series is known as "ten similes praising the Lotus Sutra." The simile in this passage is the first.
No river, however large, can rival an ocean. Rivers by their nature cannot compare with oceans. This is because an ocean swallows up the waters that flow into it from rivers large and small and makes them all one. Moreover, an ocean enriches the waters of the rivers, changing them into something deeper and heavier in content. The oceans spread all over the planet forming one continuous, boundless body of water and furthermore become the basis for all life.
In a similar way, all the teachings flow into the Lotus Sutra, where they blend together and are condensed. They become one great teaching of great benevolence and deep compassion which gives life to everything in this world. The Lotus Sutra is a body of teachings that is truly like a great ocean.
TEXT And just as amongst all mountains - the Earth Mountain, the Black Mountain, the Small Iron Circle Mountains, the Great Iron Circle Mountains, the ten precious mountains, and all other mountains - it is Mount Sumeru which is supreme, so is it also with the Dharma Flower Sutra; amongst all sutras it is supreme.
COMMENTARY According to ancient Buddhist cosmology, the Earth Mountain, the Black Mountains, the Small Iron Circle Mountains, the Great Iron Circle Mountains, the ten precious mountains, and Mount Sumeru were mountains in India. Mount Sumeru was not only the highest of these mountains, but was believed by ancient Indians to be the center of the universe.
The Lotus Sutra is not only the supreme and most noble of all sutras, but it contains the greatest of all the teachings, revealing and fostering their supreme value.
People sometimes become overzealous in their devotion to the Lotus Sutra to the point of self-righteousness, and disdain other teachings of the Buddha. But this is a major error, for the Lotus Sutra is not a sutra to rival or be compared with other sutras. Rather it is the core of all the teachings and helps them manifest their intrinsic value. Unless one is aware of the worldview of ancient Indians, who regarded Mount Sumeru as the center of the world, and delves deeply into this passage, it is easy to fall into such a misunderstanding.
TEXT Again, just as amongst all stars the princely moon is supreme, so is it also with this Dharma Flower Sutra; amongst thousands of myriads of kotis of kinds of sutra teachings, it is the most illuminating.
COMMENTARY There are countless stars in the heavens, but it is the moon that is closest to the human world and shines brightest on that world. The Lotus Sutra is precisely the same, a teaching that adheres closely to human life and brightens it.
Among other religions and even within the Buddhist teachings that preceded the Lotus Sutra, there are severe, pessimistic teachings that people are sinful and life is suffering.
But once we arrive at the Lotus Sutra, we see an unfathomable brightness which affirms humanity, glorifies life, and praises the buddha-nature. Further, the Lotus Sutra is not only the Dharma for Buddhist clergy, but for all people, without exception. It is a teaching through which all people may love life and cheerfully live it to the full. Consequently no other teaching shines on the world so brightly. It is surely true that among the many sutras, the Lotus Sutra is the most illuminating.
TEXT Further, just as the princely sun is able to disperse all darkness, so is it also with this sutra; it is able to dispel all unholy darkness.
COMMENTARY As we have repeatedly noted, darkness is nonsubstantial. It is merely a state in which there is no light. Consequently, when light shines, there is no darkness.
In similar fashion, sin and evil are unsubstantial. They are merely states in which wisdom is obscured, and goodness of mind is concealed. So when the rays of the sun of the teachings shine forth, wisdom reveals itself, the mind's goodness shines, and in an instant sin and evil vanish into thin air. The teachings of the Lotus Sutra are like the sun.
The appropriateness of this simile is unparalleled. TEXT Again, just as amongst all minor kings the holy wheel-rolling king is supreme, so is it also with this sutra; amongst all the sutras it is the most honorable.
COMMENTARY The holy wheel-rolling king is the king who governs the world virtuously (see the November/December 1991 issue of Dharma World). In other words, he is a great king who does not govern by strength, but rather, with the power of exceptional virtue, he leads people in creating a peaceful country of their own accord.
Like the holy wheel-rolling king, the Lotus Sutra, with its great influential powers, leads all living beings imperceptibly to the Way of the Buddha. For that reason, it is the most precious of all the precious teachings.
TEXT Again just as what Shakra is amongst the gods of the thirty-three heavens, so is it also with this sutra; it is the king of all sutras.
COMMENTARY The so-called heavenly deities were originally the gods of Brahmanism and were believed to have great divine powers to control humans. Shakra (Indra), along with the Brahma Heaven, was held to be the main deity and chief of the other thirty-two gods. The Buddha incorporated them all as benevolent deities that protect Buddhism, but there remained a folk belief, never strongly contradicted, that they possessed divine powers to save people from their sufferings on occasion and grant them good fortune.
Comparing the Lotus Sutra, which is the king of all sutras, to Shakra in the thirty-three heavens seems to suggest that all of the teachings of the Buddha have the extraordinary power to liberate humankind, but it means the teachings of the Lotus Sutra are the greatest of all.
TEXT Again, just as the Great Brahma Heavenly King is the father of all living beings, so is it also with this sutra; it is the father of all wise and holy men, of those training and the trained, and of the bodhisattva-minded.
COMMENTARY The Great Brahma Heavenly King was believed to be the chief deity of Brahmanism, and people believed him to be the father of all living beings.
In general in India, as in other countries, fathers are held in high regard, and even in the Lotus Sutra we find many such expressions as "I, too, being father of this world" (in a verse of chapter 16, "Revelation of the [Eternal] Life of the Tathagata," in which the father is represented as guide and savior).
The same is true here. All people - whether they be sages, saints, trainees (shaiksha, practitioners who have more to learn about the Buddha's teachings), the trained (ashaiksha, practitioners who have fully mastered his teachings), bodhisattvas - when they have resolved to attain the supreme enlightenment of the Buddha, have the Lotus Sutra as an august and affectionate father to teach and guide them to it.
The word father suggests this distinctive meaning.
One point should be clarified here. Ancient Indians believed the Great Brahma Heavenly King, that is, a god of a heavenly realm, was the father of all living beings; in other words, that he governed all the living. Such thinking is fundamentally incompatible with Buddhist ideas. Buddhism does not recognize the existence of any god in that kind of relationship with human beings and therefore strongly denies the idea that gods govern humans beings.
However, Shakyamuni does not impetuously attack this mistaken idea and oppose its adherents. Instead, he warmly embraces these gods of another religion as guardian deities of the Buddha Dharma.
This spirit is manifest here in his not opposing the error that the Great Brahma Heavenly King rules the living. Instead Shakyamuni taught ancient Indians that the Buddha Dharma, like the Great Brahma Heavenly King, was the spiritual father of all the living. It is characteristic of Buddhism that it embraces all correct religions and gently leads ordinary adherents of other religions to the Way of the Buddha.
TEXT Again, just as amongst all the common people, srota-apannas, sakridagamins, anagamins, arhats, and pratyekabuddhas are foremost, so is it also with this sutra; amongst all the sutra teachings expounded by tathagatas, bodhisattvas, and shravakas, it is supreme. So is it also with those who are able to receive and keep this sutra - amongst all the living they are supreme.
COMMENTARY Srota-apanna, sakridagamin, anagamin, arhat. These are practitioners in the four stages leading to the enlightenment attained by shravakas. These practitioners seeking liberation after hearing the Buddha's teachings ascend through these stages step by step from a beginner's state of mind.
The srota-apanna is a "stream-winner," who has just joined a group following the Way and has just begun to be carried along by the flow of his or her religious practice.
The sakridagamin is a "once-returner," who is almost rid of delusion in the realm of desire and is guaranteed only no more than one rebirth in the realm of desire.
The anagamin is a "never-returner," who will never return to the state of ordinary beings by being reborn in the realm of desire. The anagamin is guaranteed to reach the stage of the arhat, the highest stage of shravaka enlightenment.
The arhat is known as "a killer of bandits" for having at this stage vanquished the "bandits of delusion." Strictly speaking, such a person is called an arhattva, meaning one who is completely rid of delusion and has achieved liberation, deserving the respect of all humanity. · Amongst all the living they are supreme. We should pay special attention to the final section of this passage, which says that among all living beings, those who can receive and keep the sutra are supreme. It is we who receive and keep the sutra, so it is we who are most exalted among living beings.
We must always cherish this pride deep within ourselves. That we believe in the supreme Dharma and actually practice it means that, however inferior to all others we may be in other aspects, in this one aspect we are superior. If we keep this self-confidence to ourselves and deal with everything confidently, we will be able to live with dignity, unconcerned by social position or material things.
Of course this does not imply that we should be arrogant or self-righteous, showing our feeling of spiritual superiority. Our self-confidence and pride remain within our hearts.
TEXT Amongst all shravakas and pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas are supreme; so is it also with this sutra; amongst all the sutra teachings, it is supreme.
COMMENTARY Bodhisattvas are not grouped with shravakas or pratyekabuddhas, so the meaning of "amongst all shravakas and pratyekabuddhas" should be understood to mean all the disciples of the Buddha.
TEXT Just as the Buddha is king of the teachings, or dharmas, so is it also with this sutra; it is the king of sutras.
COMMENTARY The king of sutras. In ancient times, kings were absolute rulers. The fortunate of a nation depended largely on the king's virtue. The Buddha is compared to a good king who brings happiness to all his people, and he is called the "king of the teachings" in the sense that he is the "ruler of the Dharma," who expounds all the teachings, making free and full use of them to instruct and liberate all people.
In the same manner, the Lotus Sutra, which gives life to all the teachings and helps them fully manifest their life, is truly the "king of sutras."
The following brings to a conclusion the ten similes praising the Lotus Sutra.
TEXT "Star Constellation King Flower! This sutra is that which can save all the living; this sutra can deliver all the living from pains and sufferings; this sutra is able greatly to benefit all the living and fulfill their vows.
COMMENTARY "To benefit" means to bestow both material as well as spiritual blessings. If one is spiritually liberated, this will always be reflected in material ways as well.
It is wrong to associate the word "vows" with concrete ways of material liberation. "Vows" here does not mean efforts to gain material satisfaction or a comfortable life.
As explained earlier (in the July/August 2000 issue of Dharma World), a vow is made to accomplish an ideal goal in life. A vow, in Buddhist terms, however, is not quite the same as an ideal. A vow has two senses in Buddhism. The first is ultimately the altruistic endeavor to benefit humanity and the world. The second is a strong commitment to an ideal.
Hence, we must bear in mind that in the phrase "fulfill their vows," "vows" is used in the first sense above. Some people misinterpret the meaning of vow in the Lotus Sutra as meaning the pursuit of immediate desires based on greed. Nothing is further from a correct understanding of the teachings of the Lotus Sutra than the belief that practice of its teachings brings immediate, worldly benefits.
TEXT Just as a clear, cool pool is able to satisfy all those who are thirsty, as the cold who obtain a fire [are satisfied], as the naked who find clothing, as [a caravan of] merchants who find a leader, as children who find their mother, as at a ferry one who catches the boat, as a sick man who finds a doctor, as in the darkness one who obtains a lamp, as a poor man who finds a jewel, as people who find a king, as merchant venturers who gain the sea, and as a torch which dispels the darkness, so is it also with this Dharma Flower Sutra; it is able to deliver all the living from all sufferings and all diseases, and is able to unloose all the bonds of birth and death.
COMMENTARY It is difficult to understand this passage, and one may even misinterpret it unless one understands India's geography and daily life.
Take for example the expression "just as a clear, cool pool is able to satisfy all those who are thirsty." In Japan one would use the word "spring." But in India, rainwater is collected, and river water is drawn into reservoirs. The water is used for drinking and bathing, which are essential for life.
The merchants referred to here are in a caravan, and their leader is well acquainted enough with the territory to guide the caravan through boundless deserts or dense forests.
People today may not fully grasp the importance of a ferry, but anyone who visits northern India, where the Ganges and Indus rivers and their tributaries form a meshlike network and there are virtually no bridges across them, will see how essential ferries are. Seeing these large rivers also makes it easy to comprehend the idea of "the other shore of enlightenment."
"Merchant venturers who gain the sea" means traders. One may wonder why traders would be so appreciative of a sea route. The reason is that land travel in India is a series of unimaginable hardships - intense summer heat, empty waterless wastelands, and rugged mountains infested with beasts and poisonous snakes. A reader aware of these circumstances may feel great poignancy on reading this sonorous passage.
This passage in the Lotus Sutra is well known as the "benefits of the twelve similes," which explain the benefits conferred by the Lotus Sutra. When we carefully examine each one, we realize that it does not merely extol the benefits of the sutra. The phrase "is able to unloose all the bonds of birth and death" has an especially important meaning.
"Birth and death" here refers to transmigration through the repeated cycle of birth and death. "The bonds of birth and death" means the snare of the sufferings of transmigration.
However, once people know the Lotus Sutra, which is the quintessence of the Buddha's teachings, and receive and keep it, they can free themselves from those sufferings. In short, they can attain buddhahood.
In terms of daily life, this means that we can become free and attain true peace of mind, unperturbed by any of the changes around us.
Being "able to unloose all the bonds of birth and death" is truly wonderful.
TEXT "If anyone, hearing this Dharma Flower Sutra, either himself copies or causes others to copy it, the limits of the sum of merit to be obtained cannot be calculated [even] by the Buddha wisdom. If anyone copies this sutra and pays homage to it with flowers, scents, necklaces, incense, sandal powder, unguents, banners, canopies, garments, and various kinds of lamps - ghee lamps, oil lamps, lamps of scented oil, lamps of campaka oil, lamps of sumana oil, lamps of patala oil, lamps of varshika oil, and lamps of navamalika oil - the merit to be obtained by him is equally inestimable.
COMMENTARY Lamps of campaka oil . . . lamps of navamalika oil. These are votive lights which use scented oil taken from highly fragrant flowers.
Up to this point, the Buddha has commented on the greatness and the wondrous merits of the Lotus Sutra as a whole, and from now on he refers specifically to the merits described in this chapter, "The Former Lives of the Bodhisattva Medicine King."
He emphasizes the merits of receiving and keeping this chapter because the teachings cannot be brought to life unless practiced, and this chapter extols primarily the holiness that one displays in one's personal practice of the teachings of the Lotus Sutra.
Therefore, we should on no account interpret his statement as urging us to receive and keep this chapter alone. Such a shallow interpretation often produces self-righteous faith. We cannot make this mistake if we devote ourselves to reading the sutra very carefully and deeply.
For example, we will later read that the buddhas say, "Excellent, excellent! Good son! You have been able to receive and keep, read, recite, and ponder this sutra in the Dharma of Shakyamuni Buddha and to expound it to others."
The buddhas call our special attention to the importance of receiving and keeping, reading, reciting, and pondering this sutra, which belongs to Shakyamuni's Dharma, and of preaching it to others without forgetting that this chapter is part of the Dharma.
Consequently, we always must receive and keep the Lotus Sutra in its entirety as representing the whole of the Buddha Dharma. This is especially necessary for us to remember when reading chapter 25, "The All-Sidedness of the Bodhisattva Regarder of the Cries of the World," when I will reiterate this caution.
In this series, passages in the TEXT sections are quoted from The Threefold Lotus Sutra, Tokyo: Kosei Publishing Company, 1975, with slight revisions. The diacritical marks originally used for several Sanskrit terms in the TEXT sections are omitted here for easier reading.
This article was originally published in the October-December 2014 issue of Dharma World.
