I am told that in some schools of Nichiren Buddhism in Japan, instruction in the Lotus Sutra begins with Chapter 10, The Teacher of the Dharma. Skip that boring stuff about who is in the crowd or the endless predictions for the śrāvakas and get right to what we are promised:
“Medicine-King! Do you see the innumerable gods, dragonkings, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, men, and nonhuman beings, and the four kinds of devotees: bhikṣus, bhikṣunīs, upāsakās, and upāsikās, and those who are seeking Śrāvakahood or Pratyekabuddhahood or the enlightenment of the Buddha in this great multitude? If in my presence any of them rejoices, even on a moment’s thought, at hearing even a gāthā or a phrase of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, I will assure him of his future Buddhahood, saying to him, ‘You will be able to attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.’ ”
“The Buddha said to Medicine-King:
“ ‘If after my extinction anyone rejoices, even on a moment’s thought, at hearing even a gāthā or a phrase of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, I also will assure him of his future attainment of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.’ ”
I didn’t start with Chapter 10 when I began my 32 Days of the Lotus Sutra practice in 2015. Instead, my awareness of the beauty of the sutra and my faith in its promise began with Chapter 1 and grew with each cycle through all 28 chapters. Today, more than 75 times through that cycle, I am not sure whether I can endorse the idea of starting with Chapter 10 any more than I can condone the practice of studying only Chapters 2 and 16.
But I also can’t advocate my own practice, at least not for someone who is unfamiliar with Mahayana Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra. It takes a certain dedication to devote that much time to personal practice, and I don’t believe it is essential.
Still, I certainly understand why Chapter 10 is considered a gateway to the promise of the Lotus Sutra:
“The good men or women who expound even a phrase of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma even to one person even in secret after my extinction, know this, are my messengers. They are dispatched by me. They do my work. It is needless to say this of those who expound this sūtra to many people in a great multitude.”
If nothing else, we should celebrate and welcome Chapter 10’s promise for those who combine faith and practice:
“Medicine-King, know this! Anyone who copies, keeps, reads and recites this sūtra, makes offerings to it, and expounds it to others after my extinction, will be covered by my robe. He also will be protected by the present Buddhas of the other worlds. He will have the great power of truth, the power of vows, and the power of roots of good. Know this! He will live with me. I will pat him on the head.”
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