The Four Faiths in the Present mean four steps of belief: Understanding by Faith in a Single Moment’s Thought, Understanding the Meaning, Disseminating it to Others, and Entering into Deep Faith.

1. Understanding by Faith in a Single Moment’s Thought

As a first step, if anyone opens the heart in faith and understands the gist of the Sutra, even for just a moment, his or her happiness and virtue will be everlasting (p. 254-255

2. Understanding the Meaning

In the next step, one becomes clearly aware of the inner meaning of the Sutra.

3. Disseminating it to Others

In the third step, one’s practice makes further progress. The practitioner upholds and copies the Lotus Sutra, not only for personal satisfaction, but also for the sake of others, expounding it to them, and having them copy it, too, or make offerings to it (p. 257).

4. Entering into Deep Faith

At the fourth step, the practitioner mentally sees clearly the figure of the Original Buddha and his Pure Land and is able to enter into the state of deep faith, thanks to the teaching of the “Duration of the Life of the Tathagata” (p. 258).

By means of these enormous numbers, numbers far beyond the ability of mathematics to conceive, Sakyamuni compares his life span to eternity. The simile which he uses is commonly called the “Five Hundred Dust-atom Kalpas.”

This is to resolve solemnly to make every effort to realize and spread the Lotus Sutra in the Age of Degeneration, or the evil world of the future. There are three points.

1. The Bodhisattva should have great loving-kindness toward both clergy and laity, and great compassion toward those who are not Bodhisattvas. (This is called the subject of resolution.)
2. The reason is that people do not understand that the Buddha expounded expedient teachings according to the capacities of living beings, and they neither believe it nor understand it. (This is the reason for resolution.)
3. Therefore, when a Bodhisattva attains supreme-perfect-enlightenment, he or she will resolve to lead all people to the Lotus Sutra, and by means of his acquired supernatural powers and wisdom, cause them to understand the law (p. 220).

[I]n most sutras, the Introductory and Propagation parts are short and sweet, serving merely structural functions to complete the whole. In contrast, the Lotus Sutra contains a detailed introduction in addition to a general preface. This detailed introduction, unique to the Lotus Sutra, presents teachings that foreshadow what will be expounded in the following chapters. Secondly, the Lotus Sutra is structured as if the conclusion incorporates the main part. For example, after Chapter Ten, “The Teacher of the Dharma,” most chapters in the second division deal with the matter of keeping and propagating the Sutra in future worlds, which is, in fact, the major characteristic of a conclusion.

Sakyamuni told us in the Lotus Sutra how we should live. We “read” the Sutra by comparing its teachings with our deeds. It was Nichiren (1220-1280) who completed the practice of “reading” the Lotus Sutra and fulfilling it in deeds throughout his lifetime. As you may know, Nichiren endured many persecutions, but he understood his troubles as having been foretold in the Lotus Sutra. Experiencing them, he realized that Sakyamuni’s prophecies had proven to be true. In stead of lamenting his fate, he derived spiritual joy at being allowed to fulfill the prophecies in his own body.

In [Chapter Eleven, Beholding the Stupa of Treasures], the cosmos is so sublimely depicted that we feel as if we are seeing a drama in space. This majestic picture is a symbolic representation of the ideal world of the Lotus Sutra.

[Chapter 15] opens with a miraculous phenomenon taking place while Sakyamuni is preaching. The ground suddenly splits open, and a huge Stupa (a round dome-shaped shrine), five hundred yojanas high and two hundred and fifty yojanas wide, springs up from underground and hangs in space before the Buddha. Some say that a yojana is about forty miles, and others argue that it is about seventy-five miles (the distance of a one-day trip by bullock cart). At any rate, an enormous stupa—huge beyond our imagination—suddenly appears. It is magnificent in appearance, adorned with jewels and ornaments.

At the sight of this stupa, the assembled congregation bursts into song, offers jewels and flowers before it, venerates it, honors it, and worships it. Then a loud voice of praise is heard from within the stupa:

Excellent, excellent! You, Sakyamuni, the World-Honored
One, have expounded to this great multitude the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law, the Teaching of Equality, the Great Wisdom, the Law for Bodhisattvas, the Law Upheld by the Buddhas. What you, Sakyamuni, the World-Honored One, have expounded is all true! (p. 181)

The speaker is a Buddha called Many-Treasures Tathagata (“Thus Come”), who resides within the stupa. Because he proves the authenticity of the Lotus Sutra, which is expounded by Sakyamuni, the World-Honored One, he is called the Validating Buddha. His Stupa is named the Stupa of Treasures.

Sakyamuni’s prophetic statements on religious practices in the future, or after his extinction, are the major characteristics of the Lotus Sutra, and cannot be found in any other sutra. In a time when Sakyamuni no longer exists physically, Bodhisattvas are to play the leading role in his place. … Bodhisattvas have the heart of the Buddha, and their deeds manifest his will. This is why the Lotus Sutra entitles Bodhisattvas to be the teachers of the Dharma. In this sense, Bodhisattvas, or the teachers of the Dharma, can be considered as substitutes for the Buddha. What is more, their role can be considered even more important than that of the Buddha himself after his extinction. Sakyamuni stresses this in his … statement to Bodhisattva Medicine-King:

Medicine-King! If after my extinction, anyone expounds even a single verse or phrase of this Sutra to even one person, he or she should be considered to be my messenger, sent by me to do my work. Needless to say, those who expound the Sutra in public are also great Bodhisattvas. Even if an evil person speaks ill of me or slanders me in my presence, he is not as sinful as the person who reproaches laymen or monks for reading and reciting the Lotus Sutra (p. 172).

Purna was assured of his future Buddhahood in a realm to be called Excellent-Purity. The sutra gives some details about this pure land, where the inhabitants will know only happiness. “They will feed on two things: delight in the Dharma and delight in dhyana (meditation)” (p. 155).

A good meal is one of life’s most delectable joys. A meal also supplies us with physical strength. In the Pure Land, receiving the Dharma (truth) and feeling peace of mind after entering dhyana will be the joy and sustenance of life. In short, the sutra teaches us that the ideal life consists of feeding our hearts just as we feed our bodies.