Day 20 completes Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground, and concludes the Fifth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Last month Sakyamuni identified the Bodhisattvas who rose up from the sky beneath the Saha World, but now we must deal with the doubts caused by Sakyamuni’s explanation.

Thereupon Maitreya Bodhisattva-mahasattva and the innumerable Bodhisattvas in the congregation doubted the Buddha’s words which they had never heard before. They thought:

How did the World-Honored One teach these great, innumerable, asamkhya Bodhisattvas, and qualify them to attain Anuttara-samyak-sarpbodhi in such a short time?

[Maitreya Bodhisattva] said to the Buddha:

World-Honored One! When you, the Tathagata, were a crown prince, you left the palace of the Sakyas, sat at the place of enlightenment not far from the City of Gaya, and attained Anuttara­samyak-sambodhi. lt is only forty and odd years since then.

World-Honored One! How did you do these great deeds of the Buddha in such a short time? Did you teach these great, innumerable Bodhisattvas, and qualify them to attain Anuttara­samyak-sambodhi by your powers or by your merits?
World-Honored One! No one can count the number of these great Bodhisattvas even if he goes on counting them for thousands of billions of kalpas. They have already planted roots of good, practiced the way, and performed brahma practices under innumerable Buddhas from the remotest past.

World-Honored One! It is difficult for anyone in the world to believe this. It is as difficult as to believe a handsome, black-haired man twenty-five years old who points to men a hundred years old and says, ‘They are my sons,’ or as to believe men a hundred years old who point to a young man and say, ‘This is our father. He brought us up.’ You are like the young man. It is not long since you attained enlightenment. But it is many thousands of billions of kalpas since the great multitude of these Bodhisattvas began to practice the Way strenuously in order to attain the enlightenment of the Buddha. During that time they entered into, stayed in, and came out of many hundreds of thousands of billions of samadhis, and obtained great supernatural powers. They performed brahma practices for a long time. They learned good teachings one by one, and obtained the ability to answer questions skillfully. They are regarded as the treasures of the world of men by alJ the people of the world because they are rare. Today you say that, after you attained the enlightenment of the Buddha, you caused them to aspire for enlightenment, taught them, and led them into the Way to Anuttara-samyak-sarnbodhi.

World-Honored One! You did these deeds of great merit although it is not long since you attained Buddhahood. We believe that your words given according to the capacities of all living beings are infallible, and that we understand all that you know. But the beginners in Bodhisattvahood after your extinction, if they hear these words of yours, will not receive them by faith but commit the sin of violating the Dharma. Therefore, World-Honored One! Explain all this so that we may be able to remove our doubts and that the go d men in the future may have no doubts when they hear these words of yours!

The Daily Dharma from June 26, 2016, underscores the importance of questioning:

World-Honored One! It is difficult for anyone in the world to believe this. It is as difficult as to believe a handsome, black-haired man twenty-five years old who points to men a hundred years old and says, ‘They are my sons,’ or as to believe men a hundred years old who point to a young man and say, ‘This is our father. He brought us up.’

Day 19 concludes Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, and begins Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.

Last month covered the gathas of the Parable of the Priceless Gem in the Top-Knot. And before I get to the dream that concludes this chapter, I pause to consider this promise:

Anyone who seeks
The enlightenment of the Buddha
And wishes to expound this sutra
In peaceful ways after my extinction,
Should practice
These four sets of things.

Anyone who reads this sutra
Will be free from grief,
Sorrow, disease or pain.
His complexion will be fair.
He will not be poor,
Humble or ugly.

All living beings
Will wish to see him
Just as they wish to see sages and saints.
Celestial pages will serve him.

He will not be struck with swords or sticks.
He will not be poisoned.
If anyone speaks ill of him,
The speaker’s mouth will be shut.
He will be able to go anywhere
As fearless as the lion king.
The light of his wisdom will be
As bright as that of the sun.

I find this brief section contradictory to the sutra’s warning of dangers for expounders of this sutra and certainly contrary to Nichiren’s experience, which was validation of his preaching the true teaching. Still, the Sept. 20, 2016, Daily Dharma touches on this section:

Anyone who reads this sūtra
Will be free from grief,
Sorrow, disease or pain.
His complexion will be fair.
He will not be poor,
Humble or ugly.
All living beings
Will wish to see him
Just as they wish to see sages and saints.
Celestial pages will serve him.

Day 18 concludes Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra, and begins Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices.

Having last month begun the discussed of proper practices, it’s time to turn to the proper things to approach.

“What are the proper things the Bodhisattva-mahasattva should approach? He should not approach kings, princes, ministers or other government directors. He should not approach heretics, aspirants for the teaching of Brahman, Nirgranthas, writers of worldly literature, writers of non-Buddhist songs of praise, Lokayatas or Anti-Lokayatas. He should not approach players of dangerous sports such as boxers or wrestlers. He should not approach natas or other various amusement-makers. He should not approach Candalas, boar-keepers, shepherds, poulterers, dog-keepers, hunters, fishermen, or other people who do evils for their livelihood. When they come to him, he should expound the Dharma to them, but should not wish [to receive anything from them]. He should not approach those who seek Sravakahood, be they bhiksus, bhikusunis, upasakas or upasikas. He should not exchange greeting with them. He should not stay with them in the same monastery, promenade or lecture-hall. When they come to him, he should expound the Dharma to them according to their capacities, but should not wish [to receive anything from them]. Mamjusri! The Bodhisattva­mahasattva should not expound the Dharma to a woman with a desire for her. He should not wish to look at her. When he enters the house of others, he should not talk with a little girl, an unmarried woman or a widow. He should not approach or make friends with anyone of the five kinds of eunuchs. He should not enter the house of others alone. If he must enter it alone for some reason, he should think of the Buddha with all his heart. When he expounds the Dharma to a woman, he should not laugh with his teeth visible to her. He should not expose his breast to her. He should not be friendly with her even for the purpose of expounding the Dharma to her. Needless to say, he should not be so for other purposes. He should not wish to keep young disciples, sramaneras or children. He should not wish to have the same teacher with them.

He should always make it a pleasure to sit in dhyana. He should live in a retired place and concentrate his mind. Manjusri! [A retired place] is the first thing he should approach.

This last point is discussed in the Daily Dharma of Dec. 21, 2015:

He should always make it a pleasure to sit in dhyāna. He should live in a retired place and concentrate his mind. Mañjuśrī! [A retired place] is the first thing he should approach.

Day 17 covers all of Chapter 12, Devadatta, and opens Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra.

Having last month covered the prose section introducing Sakyamuni’s previous life as a king seeking someone to teach him the Great Vehicle, it’s time to repeat what we learned in gathas.

I remember that I became a king in a kalpa of the past. Although I was a king,
I did not indulge in the pleasures of the five desires Because I was seeking the Great Dharma.

I tolled a bell, and said loudly in all directions;
‘Who knows the Great Dharma?
If anyone expounds the Dharma to me,
I will become his servant.’

There was a seer called Asita.
He came to [me, who was] the great king, and said:
‘I know the Wonderful Dharma.
It is rare in the world.
If you serve me well,
I will expound the Dhanna to you.’

Hearing this, I had great joy.
I became his servant at once.
I offered him
Anything he wanted.

I collected firewood and the fruits of trees and grasses,
And offered these things to him respectfully from time to time.
I never felt tired in body and mind
Because I was thinking of the Wonderful Dharma.

I sought the Great Dharma strenuously
Because I wished to save all living beings.
I did not wish to benefit myself
Or to have the pleasures of the five desires.

Although I was the king of a great country,
I sought the Dharma strenuously.
I finally obtained the Dharma and became a Buddha.
Therefore, I now expound it to you.

For me the most important aspect of this section is Sakyamuni’s declaration that his compassion for all livings beings, not self-interest, motivated his search for enlightenment.

The Daily Dharma from July 20, 2016, offers this:

I sought the Great Dharma strenuously
Because I wished to save all living beings.
I did not wish to benefit myself
Or to have the pleasures of the five desires.