[In Chapter 11, Beholding the Stupa of Treasures,] the vast worlds surrounding our World of Endurance are purified three times. By placing the World of Endurance (Saha-world) in the center of those purified worlds, the Sutra shows us that the Buddhist ideal of a pure world must be realized here in our real world, and not somewhere else beyond reality.

[We learn in Chapter 10, The Teacher of the Dharma, that] the teacher should expound the Dharma in accordance with the three guidelines: (1) the room of the Buddha (which is having great compassion), (2) the robe of the Buddha (which is being gentle and patient), and (3) the seat of the Buddha (which is the voidness of all things). The void in the third rule refers to a mind free from all attachments. This set of three principles, with its clear-cut presentation of the Great Vehicle, is said to be the greatest doctrine of the Buddha.

[We learn in Chapter 10, The Teacher of the Dharma, that] if a teacher of the Dharma expounds the Sutra here in this evil world, where the Dharma will be little appreciated after the Buddha’s extinction, he might well be persecuted with swords, sticks, tile-pieces, or stones. However, Sakyamuni will create laymen and monks by his supernatural powers, and send them to protect him, although the Buddha himself will not appear.

The teacher of the Dharma will be protected because he is inspired by the power of the Buddha, and his renewed strength can be seen as a manifestation of the Buddha himself. In this respect, the Sutra says, “He (the teacher of the Dharma) will be covered by my robe;” he will be “borne on the Buddha’s shoulders,” or “reside with the Buddha, who will pat him on his head.”

[In Chapter 8, The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Five Hundred Disciples,] the poor man was bewildered. “Gem?” he asked. “What gem?” He felt along the lining of his garment, and was astonished to find a precious stone attached to it. He had been a wealthy man all this time without realizing it.

The real meaning of this story is spiritual, not financial. By nature, each one of us possesses a gem of priceless value. By simply being alive, we have the same heart and wisdom as the Buddha, but we are not aware of it. (To be enlightened means to wake up and realize who and what we really are.) This gem in everyone’s heart is nothing less than the Buddha nature, the potential to become a Buddha. Because of our ignorance, we are unaware of our Buddha-nature, and fail to make any effort or undertake any practice to develop it. The man in this story who loves to drink signifies ordinary people like us, wasting our lives as if in a drunken fog.

Why Sakyamuni did not prevent [the 5,000 monks and lay followers] from departing [in Chapter 2, Expedients] has been discussed since ancient times. The matter should not be interpreted as a lack of mercy on the part of Sakyamuni; quite the contrary, it shows his infinite patience and compassion. The teaching of the Lotus Sutra allows everyone to become a Buddha, even heretics who oppose the right teaching. Obviously at this point the five thousand arrogant monks were heretics. They were intentionally presented here to show that even a heretic can be saved by Sakyamuni’s mercy and become a Buddha sooner or later. The Buddha does not prevent them at this time so as not to hurt their feelings; he knows that eventually they will return. At root, all people are the same, as we saw in the tenth “Suchness.” This identity, which exists along with manifold differences—as seen in the first nine Suchnesses—is called the “Void” or “Emptiness” in Buddhist philosophy.

The Lotus Sutra has teachings that prophesy the future after the Buddha’s extinction. These teachings are unique to this Sutra, and are not found in other sutras to such an extent. The prophecy [in Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra,] tells us that the world after the extinction of the Buddha will be an evil place–an Age of Degeneration–in which expounders of the Lotus Sutra can expect to suffer troubles and even persecution. That they must overcome these troubles and expound the Lotus Sutra to make this Saha-world into the Pure Land of the Buddha, is not just a prophecy. It is a major teaching. The … verses recited by the never-faltering bodhisattvas represent this teaching. It is called the “Twenty Verses of Chapter Thirteen.”

These twenty verses had much influence on Nichiren. He mentions them in his treatise, Kaimokusho (“Opening the Eyes”). “If I had not been born in this country,” he says, “the twenty verses in Chapter Thirteen would not have been proven, the World-Honored One would have seemed to be a great liar, and the eighty billion nayuta of bodhisattvas would have fallen into the sin of lying, too. Just as the Lotus Sutra foretold, I was often driven out (into exile). The word ‘often’ in the Sutra came true. This word was not experienced by either Tendai (Great Master Chih-i of China) or Dengyo (Great Master Saicho of Japan), not to speak of lesser people. I, Nichiren, alone read them from experience. For I perfectly fit the Buddha’s description of the person spreading the Lotus Sutra ‘in the dreadful and evil world’ at the beginning of the Latter Age.”

That is to say, Nichiren was the only person who read, experienced, and dedicated his life to the real meanings of the verses of Chapter Thirteen.

[I]t would be a serious mistake to take the teaching of the “attainment of Buddhahood in this life” as meaning we can attain enlightenment without any effort. Even if we believe strongly in a religion, we must still practice it and apply its principles to our life. But by the power of their faith, ordinary people can attain the power of the Buddha without first completing difficult studies and practicing for eons and eons. This is what is meant by the “attainment of Buddhahood in this very life” [in Chapter 12, Devadatta.]

[In Chapter 2, Expedients, T]he Buddha confirmed the existence of the highest truth, which can be attained only by a Buddha. The next question is, how does Sakyamuni Buddha expound this highest truth to living beings? That is what Sariputra and the entire congregation wanted to know. Three times Sariputra asked for an explanation, but three times his request was denied. (This is called the “Three Requests and the Three Denials.”) Sakyamuni had good reason to refuse Sariputra’s requests. The audience, you may recall, was composed mostly of followers of the Lesser Vehicle. These people had spent long years of their lives in rigorous religious exercises and were convinced they had finally arrived at the truth. They were called arhats—perfect ones. Most of them would feel insulted to hear that they had been on the wrong track all this time. It is difficult to be told that one is wrong, especially after having worked so hard and accomplished so much.

Finally, however, Sakyamuni decided to accept the earnest pleas of Sariputra. Before he even began to speak, five thousand monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen from the congregation stood up and walked out. They were sure that they already knew the highest truth, and saw no need to listen any more. Like religious fanatics everywhere, they were arrogant in their assurance and unwilling to be contradicted or be littled. The Buddha remained silent and made no move to prevent them from leaving. “Let the arrogant ones go!” he told Sariputra. “Listen carefully, and I will explain it to you.”

What is the significance of expedients? First of all, let us think about this question from the standpoint of Buddhism in general.

There is a legend that Sakyamuni, when he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Buddha Gaya, in north-eastern India, was so impressed by its profundity that he remained motionless for hours. Then the Heavenly King Brahman, the lord of our world, came to him and said, “Your state of enlightenment is, indeed, impressive. Nevertheless, no matter how wonderful it may be to you, what good is it to anyone else? How are you going to serve people if you remain silent? Now that you have attained the ultimate truth, Please expound it to the people of the world and deliver them, too, from suffering.” After considering this request, Sakyamuni nodded in agreement, rose from his seat, and set out for Sarnath, where he delivered his first sermon

This legend shows that the profound depth of the Buddha’s enlightenment is almost impossible to express in words. (Otherwise the Buddha would have taught it immediately.) Nevertheless, it must be presented in words and expressed somehow if it is to help people. Words, however, are not always the perfect means of representing facts; they can express only part of them. For instance, we often find it difficult to express our innermost thoughts or complicated physical problems in words. (Physicists generally must resort to mathematical formulae; musicians use music; artists paint, and so on.)

In some other Buddhist scriptures, the Sanskrit term for the eternal Buddha is Dharmakaya, which is understood to mean that the truth itself is the Buddha. But the truth as an abstraction has no power to save us. Only when Sakyamuni realizes the truth in his person and activates the character of a Buddha in his practice does he become able to save us by the power of his mercy and wisdom.