Day 18 concludes Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra, and begins Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices.
Last month, I covered the “eighty billion nayuta Bodhisattva-mahasattvas” who were puzzled by the Sakyamuni’s hesitance to transmit the teaching of the Lotus Sutra to them but still forged ahead with a vow to “go to any place [not only of this Saha-World but also] of the worlds of the ten quarters, as often as required, and cause all living beings to copy, keep, read and recite this sutra, to expound the meanings of it, to act according to the Dharma, and to memorize this sutra correctly.”
Today and in coming months, I’ll focus on the Peaceful Practices detailed in Chapter 14.
Thereupon Manjusri Bodhisattva-mahasattva, the Son of the King of the Dharma, said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! These Bodhisattvas are extraordinarily rare. They made a great vow to protect, keep, read, recite and expound this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma in the evil world after your extinction because they are following you respectfully. World-Honored One! How should an [ordinary] Bodhisattva-mahasattva expound this sutra in the evil world after [your extinction]?”
The Buddha said to him:
“A Bodhisattva-mahasattva who wishes to expound this sutra in the evil world after [my extinction] should practice four sets of things.
“First, he should perform proper practices, approach proper things, and then expound this sutra to all living beings.
“Manjusri! What are the proper practices the Bodhisattva-mahasattva should perform? He should be patient, mild and meek. He should not be rash, timorous, or attached to anything. He should see things as they are. He should not be attached to his nonattachment to anything. Nor should he be attached to his seeing things as they are. These are the proper practices the Bodhisattva-mahasattva should perform.
The warning not to be attached to nonattachment fits very well with the guidelines to be discussed in coming months.