The Lotus Sutra frequently maintains that it should be propagated far and wide and instructs the Bodhisattvas how to undertake this task. … [O]ther sutras deal with this matter very briefly at the end of the book. In the Lotus Sutra, on the other hand, chapters discussing the matter of propagation account for four-sevenths of the total number. Indeed, the great emphasis on propagation is one of the most marked characteristics of the Lotus Sutra.

In this world, we have many problems and sorrows, and since we are not able to overcome them ourselves, we complain about them loudly. When World-Voice-Perceiver hears our voices, he immediately discerns what our problem is, solves it, and leads us towards enlightenment. That is the reason for his name. In Asia, millions of people chant his name sincerely for delivery from their troubles.

Ascetics of Hinayana Buddhism (the Lesser Vehicle) aim to escape from our world of sorrows, stand aloof from its problems, and attain a pure state of consciousness. This can make them indifferent to the world. They easily forget to fulfill the most important task in religion, namely, to save ordinary people.

On the other hand, Mahayana Buddhism (the Great Vehicle), beginning from the point of view of ordinary people, asserts that the state of enlightenment can be realized only in the midst of this world, because Bodhisattvas cannot save people without living and working here where evil and misery exist. Bodhisattvas, of course, are themselves pure, and they are never contaminated by the vice and evil of their environments. They are like lovely lotus flowers, which rise from out of the mud at the bottom of the water.

The main practice of Mahayana Buddhism, the Great Vehicle, is the Practice of a Bodhisattva: practice for helping others. The sutras in general give us many types of Bodhisattva-practices. In the Lotus Sutra, however, the principal Bodhisattva-practice is dissemination of the Sutra itself.

In Chapter Eleven, “Beholding the Stupa of Treasures,” and Chapter Eighteen, “Encouragement for Keeping the Sutra,” Sakyamuni asks Bodhisattvas to volunteer to disseminate the Sutra in the future. Answering his call, in Chapter Fifteen, “The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground,” Bodhisattvas well up from beneath the earth, and in Chapter Twenty-one, “Supernatural Powers of the Tathagatas,” Sakyamuni transmits the Sutra to them. Then in Chapter Twenty-two, “Transmission,” he transmits it to all the Bodhisattvas. The mission of all of them, both the Original Bodhisattvas and the Temporal Bodhisattvas, is to disseminate the Lotus Sutra after the Buddha’s extinction.

A principal feature of the Lotus Sutra lies in showing us spiritual and practical ways by which Bodhisattvas disseminate it, overcoming all hardships in this evil world.

It is said that the dirtier the pond from which it grows, the more beautifully a lotus blooms. The flower is itself pure and unaffected by the mud from which it has sprung. The Sutra tells us that the method of Bodhisattva-practice should be similar to that of a lotus flower. It can be said that “lotus flower,” which is part of the title (Daimoku) of the Lotus Sutra (“The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law”), symbolizes this ideal Bodhisattva practice.

In Chapter Nineteen, “Merits of a Teacher of the Dharma,” we read, “When they expound the scriptures of non-Buddhist schools, or give advice to the government, or teach the way to earn a livelihood, they will be able to be in accord with the right teachings of the Buddha” (p. 282). This means that any study of secular issues, such as politics and economics, must be in accord with the cosmic law, which is to say, the Truth expounded in the Sutra. Conversely, the teachings of the Lotus Sutra (The Truth) are applicable to secular studies, such as politics or economics, whose prime objectives are the betterment of everyday life.

The six sense-organs mean all the functions of body and mind. Practitioners of the Lotus Sutra will be able to purify their body and mind by this five-fold practice and enter into a state close to enlightenment. It is called the “purification of the six sense-organs.”

The Sutra says that, of course, building splendid stupas and temples, or contributing monetary donations and treasures to the Sangha produce many merits, because such deeds are evidence of a faithful heart. But compared to them, the merit which one obtains by keeping and practicing the Lotus Sutra is much more. It is true that there are stages in the practice of keeping the Sutra, as we have seen. But among those stages, the first one—having a joyful heart when one hears the Sutra—has the most significant meaning. Likewise, in the “Four Faiths in the Present,” which we discussed first, “Understanding by Faith in a Single Moment’s Thought” is mentioned first. It is only thanks to the faith and joy occurring within us the first time we grasp the meaning of the Lotus Sutra that we decide to practice it, act according to it, and finally attain enlightenment.

“The Duration of the Life of the Tathagata” (pronounced Tut-HAH-gut-tuh), is the name of this chapter, which teaches that the Buddha is eternal. We ordinary people usually think that the Buddha had a limited existence, just as we have. It is commonly understood that Sakyamuni was born a prince in the kingdom of the Sakya clan in the Himalayan foothills about 2,500 years ago. When he was around thirty years old, he renounced the world, attained enlightenment after six years of training, and became the Buddha at the place of enlightenment, now known as Buddha-gaya. Afterwards, he expounded the Dharma throughout northern India, and entered Nirvana at the age of eighty. But this limited Sakyamuni, who is equivalent to Sakyamuni as a historical person age, is a provisional figure. This chapter of the “Duration of the Life of the Tathagata (the “One Thus Come”), reveals that he is an everlasting and immortal being, possessing eternal life. This assertion has always been considered the pivotal teaching of the Lotus Sutra.