Day 16 concludes Chapter 11, Beholding the Stupa of Treasures, and completes the Fourth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Last month, I went over the requirement that all of the billions and billions of Sakyamuni’s replicas preaching the Dharma in the universe had to be called home before Stupa of Treasures could be opened in order for the congregation to see Many Treasures Buddha.
This time through I want to focus on the shift that takes place at this point in the Lotus Sutra when Sakyamuni asks:
Who will expound the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma in this Saha-World? Now is the time to do this. I shall enter into Nirvana before long. I wish to transmit this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma to someone so that this sutra may be preserved.
Then again in gathas:
My sons!
Who will protect the Dharma?
Make a great vow
To preserve the Dharma forever!
And again:
This sutra is
The most excellent.
To keep this sutra
Is to keep me.Good men!
Who will receive and keep this sutra, And read and recite it
After my extinction?
Make a vow before me
[To do all this]!
Rev. Ryusho Jeffus explains what is going on in his Lecture
In case there was any doubt remaining that the Buddha intended Buddhism to be taught and not be kept to oneself, there comes his request in Chapter 11 where he asks who will teach the Lotus Sutra in this world in which we live, the Saha World. Chapter 11 is where the Buddha begins to shift the focus of his teaching to thinking about the time in this world when he will no longer be alive. He is not thinking or planning for the spread of Buddhism in other parts of the universe. That is already being handled by his emanations and by the future lives of his contemporary disciples. Everything is taken care of except this world of ours. It is the Buddha Shakyamuni who is responsible for ensuring that the fundamental truth of the Lotus Sutra is secure for future generations.