Day 20 completes Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground, and concludes the Fifth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Having last month dealt with the doubts caused by Sakyamuni’s explanation in prose, we now turn Maitreya Bodhisattva singing in gathas:

It is not long
Since you renounced the family of the Sakyas
And sat under the Bodhi-tree
Near Gaya.

These sons of yours are innumerable.
They have practiced
The way to Buddhahood for a long time.
They have supernatural powers and the power of wisdom.

They have studied the Way of Bodhisattvas well.
They are not defiled by worldliness
Just as the lotus-flower
Is not defiled by water.

They sprang up from underground,
And are now standing before you respectfully.
This is difficult to understand.
How can we believe this?

You attained enlightenment quite recently.
But you have done so many things.
Remove our doubts!
Explain all this as it is!

Re-reading and re-reading and re-reading gives such a satisfying feeling. Yes, Maitreya is right to be puzzled. And that makes the big reveal in the next chapter so extraordinary.

And, on the topic of re-reading, I should point out that this post – day 20 in the 16th time through this 32-day cycle – represents the 500th day of this journey.