The word faith does not appear in Chapter 6, Assurance of Future Buddhahood. In fact, when I first began my cycle of reading the Lotus Sutra, this chapter seemed to illustrate a lack of faith.
I was dismissive of the śrāvakas pleading to be given a prediction of future buddhahood. After all, these people were in this only for themselves. Influencing my interpretation were simplified definitions of śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha such as this one from the Introduction to the Lotus Sutra:
“Although ‘hearers’ and ‘private Buddhas’ are earnest seekers, they have one critical shortcoming. In pursuing their aim for individual emancipation, they tend to become self-absorbed and neglect the needs of other people. This weakness is the main reason why their teachings are called the ‘Lesser Vehicle’: They carry the driver but no passengers. Some Mahayana sutras are extremely critical of them, saying that followers of the Lesser Vehicle cannot possibly attain Buddhahood; they are too self-centered.”
Even though I realized the whole point of their prediction was to open the door to buddhahood for everyone, this constant pleading on their part just came across as self-serving. With each request for a prediction, I was reminded of the children in the Parable of the Burning House:
“Give us
The three kinds of jeweled carts
That you promised us!
You said:
‘Come out, and I will give you
The three kinds of carts as you like.’
Now is the time for that.
Give them to us now!”
In Buddhism for Today, Nikkyō Niwano makes the case for a different interpretation.
Buddhism for Today, p35“At the end of the second verse portion of chapter 6, Maudgalyāyana, Subhūti, Kātyāyana, and others spoke in unison as follows:
“ ‘Great Hero, World-honored One!
Thou dost ever desire to pacify the world;
Be pleased to bestow our prediction.’“What they are saying is: ‘The Buddha always desires to make all the people of the world feel at ease. We also desire to become buddhas and to make them live in peace. Please give us your assurance of becoming buddhas.’
“They do not mean that they alone be saved and become buddhas, or that they alone become buddhas and attain peace of mind. Their final purpose is to make all the people of the world happy. This is a most important point. We must understand that the real intention of these disciples in earnestly requesting that the Buddha give them his assurance of becoming buddhas lies in the fact that they wanted to obtain such freedom and power as to be capable of making others happy. If we do not realize this, we are likely to receive the mistaken impression that they asked the Buddha for only their own personal enlightenment and mental peace.”
I don’t necessarily agree with Nikkyō Niwano, but I admit that my interpretation is unhelpful. These predictions are necessary. They allow everyone to develop the faith needed to defeat doubt and fear – to walk the path to buddhahood, the Bodhisattva path that puts the interests of others before self.
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