Before leaving the lessons taught by the children of King Wonderful-Adornment in Chapter 27, I would like to offer a personal story.
As mentioned before, I spent my rebellious teen years proclaiming myself a born-again Christian. I was not so much joyful and elevated as I was annoying and sanctimonious. I vividly recall my mother shaking her head at my behavior and telling me: “You don’t show any sign of having experienced a religious transformation. I’ve seen it in others. You don’t show it.”
Looking back with more than a half-century of hindsight, I must admit she was right. I also believe my immersion in the Lotus Sutra has led to a recognizable change in me.
There is nothing miraculous about this. No divine intervention required. As Rev. Ryusho Jeffus writes in his Lecture on the Lotus Sutra:
Lecture on the Lotus Sutra“When it comes to the reward of practicing Buddhism, it lies solely in the change that takes place first in our own lives and then manifests in our environment. Buddhism is not about being rewarded with riches or material goods; those things are temporary and destructible. What we seek in our Buddhist practice is the indestructible enlightenment of the Buddha; something that the Lotus Sutra teaches us is possible.”
The point here is the focus within. As Rev. Ryusho Jeffus explains:
Lecture on the Lotus Sutra“If we think we can practice Buddhism and that this practice will change everyone in our lives to become agreeable or likeable or be some way that suits us, then we are working the wrong end of the formula. Buddhism is about changing ourselves, which in turn causes our environment to change. … The most effective thing to work on to become happy, to become enlightened, is one’s own life.”
Still, there’s a certain practicality in religious practice, as explained by Nikkyō Niwano in Buddhism for Today:
Buddhism for Today, p259-259“If one earnestly takes refuge in a true faith, he will elicit a different response from other people. He begins to have feelings of optimism, confidence in life, and a positive attitude toward everything. Such feelings will naturally show in his face, speech, and conduct. Because of this change, those around him will be drawn to him because they feel buoyed up and strengthened by him. Accordingly, it is quite natural that his work should progress smoothly and that as a result he should come to be blessed with material wealth.”
Bottom line: True faith – combined with study and practice – transforms. As Rev. Ryusho Jeffus explains:
“In the story of King Wonderful-Adornment in Chapter 27, the two sons who vow to practice Buddhism and then vow to convert their father do so because they are able to manifest the benefits of their Buddhist practice. The truth of the teaching enables them to change their lives, giving them the joy of life and the capacity to turn around and save their father. Their faith and seeking spirit led them to Buddhism and their benefit enables them to share it.”
Lecture on the Lotus Sutra
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