“The perfect body of a Tathāgata is in this stūpa of treasures. A long time ago there was a world called Treasure-Purity at the distance of many thousands of billions of asaṃkhyas of worlds to the east [of this world]. In that world lived a Buddha called Many-Treasures. When he was yet practicing the Way of Bodhisattvas, he made a great vow: ‘If anyone expounds Myōhō Renge Kyō in any of the worlds of the ten quarters after I become a Buddha and pass away, I will cause my stūpa-mausoleum to spring up before him so that I may be able to prove the truthfulness of Myōhō Renge Kyō and say ‘excellent’ in praise of him because I wish to hear Myōhō Renge Kyō [directly from him].”
Tao-sheng: At One Time
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p163The Buddha once {At One Time}1 lived on Mt. Gṛdhrakūṭa in the City of King-House.
Even though words be in accord with li, if they do not match the occasion they will still be empty statements. Hence, next comes “at one time.” What time means is that the “subtle, triggering mechanism force (chi)” within beings stimulates (kan) the Sage, and the latter responds [appropriately and helpfully] (ying) to them; when religious interaction between ordinary people and the Sage does not miss a favorable opportunity (chi), we call it at one time.
Although there is no place where the Dharma body is not present, if the place where the preaching took place were not recorded, it would look vague and diffuse. Given that [the transmitter] had to introduce it in order to give evidence for the preaching, and there were five places in this mountain, [namely,] Rājagṛha, which is the one where the preaching took place? It was at the monastery on Gṛdhrakūṭa mountain (“Vulture Peak”).
- I’ve used Senchu Murano’s translation of the Lotus Sutra when quoted by Tao-sheng. When he uses a phrase not used by Murano, I’ve inserted the phrase in {curly brackets}.return
Tales of the Lotus Sutra
In 1995, Princeton University Press published an anthology devoted to Buddhism in Practice as part of the university’s Princeton Readings in Religions. Donald S. Lopez Jr. edited the volume. Included in the anthology is Daniel B. Stevenson’s “Tales of the Lotus Sutra.”
Stevenson’s article offers translations of several stories from the Tang-dynasty tales of devotion to the Lotus Sutra known as Hongzan fahua zhuan, or Accounts in Dissemination and Praise of the Lotus.
Buddhism in Practice, p427-428The Hongzan fahua zhuan belongs to a genre of Chinese Buddhist writing known as the “record of miraculous response,” or “miracle tale,” for short. The Buddhist miracle tale originated during the early medieval period, taking as its model two related narrative forms of indigenous origin that enjoyed widespread popularity at that time: the Chinese “tale of the strange or extraordinary” and the tradition of the exemplary biography inspired by the Chinese dynastic histories. The Buddhist miracle tale probably stands closest in spirit to the exemplary biography. Like the latter, the miracle tale was (and continues to be) circulated primarily for reasons of spiritual edification. Behind the marvels that it recounts there lurks an ever-present injunction to faith and piety. …
Of the miracle tales as a whole, we know that some were gathered locally from oral tradition. We know that they were selected, reworked, and disseminated by literate lay and monastic figures, some of whom were quite eminent. We also know that many of these same tales were told time and again, sometimes at formal ritual gatherings before audiences containing persons of every ilk—mendicants and laypersons, educated and uneducated. On this basis the miracle tale can be understood as “popular” in the sense of anonymous and generic—a body of literature that reflects religious motifs which are universal to Buddhist monastic and lay life rather than the province of one particular sector or stratum.
The Hongzan fahua zhuan organizes its contents according to eight categories of cultic activity: drawings and likenesses produced on the basis of the Lotus, translation of the Lotus, exegesis, cultivation of meditative discernment (based on the Lotus), casting away the body (in offering to the Lotus), recitation of the scripture (from memory), cyclic reading of the sūtra, and copying the sūtra by hand. Individual entries are, in turn, arranged in chronological sequence according to dynastic period.
Four of the topical sections of the Hongzan fahua zhuan—exegesis or preaching of the Lotus, recitation from memory, reading, and copying the Lotus—find an immediate counterpart in the famous “five practices” of receiving and keeping, reading, reciting, copying, and explicating the Lotus Sūtra described in the “Preachers of Dharma” chapter of the sūtra and articulated by exegetes such as the Tiantai master Zhiyi. Section 5 of the Hongzan fahua zhuan, on “casting away the body,” contains biographies of devotees who ritually burned themselves alive in imitation of the bodhisattva Medicine King’s self-immolation in offering to the dharma in chapter 23 of the Lotus. Various subsidiary themes of cultic and ritual activity that recur throughout the tales of the Hongzan fahua zhuan can likewise be traced to these chapters. One topic that is conspicuously absent from the Hongzan fahua zhuan is the cult of Guanyin.
The Hongzan fahua zhuan is a precursor of the miraculous stories told in Japan. See Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition and Miraculous Tales of the Lotus Sutra from Ancient Japan.
Starting tomorrow, I will publish one of these stories on the first Monday of each month as part of my 2025 collection of promises contained in the Lotus Sutra.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for Jan. 5, 2025
Anyone who keeps Myōhō Renge Kyō
In the latter days after my extinction
Should have compassion towards laymen and monks
And towards those who are not Bodhisattvas.
He should think:
‘They do not hear Myōhō Renge Kyō.
They do not believe Myōhō Renge Kyō.
This is their great fault.
When I attain the enlightenment of the Buddha,
I will expound the Dharma to them
With expedients
And cause them to dwell in it.’
Tao-sheng: Transmitting the Sutra
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p162-163Thus have I heard
This is the phrase of the transmitters of the sūtra. How is it that the sūtras have been transmitted through generations and the voice of the Buddha has not been cut off? Because there are certain factors that make it possible. It resembles the possession of a passport (literally, sealed tally) by a person, with which he will not encounter any check point that he will not be able to pass through. The sūtras have five facts established in the beginning [of the first passage] in order to make the path (tao/mārga) pass [down the generations] without difficulty. Like [of like this or thus] is the word suggesting that the words match li. When the words and li are in mutual accord, this is spoken of as like. This (or right) [of like this or thus] refers to the fact that everything the Thus Come One (Tathāgata) said is not wrong. This [word] points to all that the Buddha preaches.
He intended to transmit it to those who did not [directly] hear it. If there were just words [heard] but no information about transmission, it means that he merely followed the words he heard [which could be subject to distortion]. The importance [of a document as an authentic scripture] lies not so much in preaching [as such] as in transmission. It can be said that the Tao values one who forgets himself. [The reader is advised to] forget about (or cast off) “I” and to follow the word heard. Heard means that the words came from the Buddha himself; it clarifies that they did not come forth from “my” [the hearer’s) mind. In this way,
the sūtras have been handed down from generation to generation and the wondrous track [of the Dharma wheel] has not ceased.
FAQ: The Lotus Sutra and the Daimoku
After gathering the promises of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren’s encouragement so that I could publish a daily promise here, I took that content and submitted it to Google’s NotebookLM, an AI assistant that analyzes texts and answers questions based on the content of those texts.
Here’s the Frequently Asked Questions generated by NotebookLM’s AI assistant based on those promises.
- What is the significance of the daimoku, “Namu-myoho-renge-kyo,” in relation to the Lotus Sutra?
- The daimoku encapsulates the essence of the entire Lotus Sutra. Just as the name “Japan” represents all its provinces, people, and resources, the daimoku embodies the entirety of the sutra’s teachings. It signifies the principle of “3,000 existences in one thought,” meaning that all phenomena, from hell to Buddhahood, are interconnected and inherently possess the potential for enlightenment. Chanting the daimoku allows individuals to tap into this potential and manifest their Buddhahood.
- Why is chanting the daimoku considered more important than contemplating the “3,000 existences in one thought”?
- While contemplating the “3,000 existences” is valuable, Nichiren emphasizes the power of chanting the daimoku as a direct path to Buddhahood. Just as a lotus flower blossoms in response to sunlight, chanting the daimoku provides the necessary life force for spiritual growth and transformation. The daimoku is considered the “actual” doctrine of “3,000 existences in one thought,” making it the most effective practice for the Latter Day of the Law.
- What is the meaning of “Myoho-Renge-Kyo”?
- “Myoho-Renge-Kyo” is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese title of the Lotus Sutra, meaning “The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.”
- Myoho represents the Mystic Law, the underlying principle of the universe that governs life and death, cause and effect. It signifies the interconnectedness of all things and the potential for Buddhahood inherent in all beings.
- Renge refers to the lotus flower, a symbol of purity and enlightenment. The lotus blooms in muddy water, demonstrating that enlightenment can emerge from the challenges of daily life.
- Kyo means sutra, the teachings of the Buddha.
Together, the five characters encapsulate the profound teachings of the Lotus Sutra, which reveal the path to enlightenment for all people.
- What are the benefits of chanting the daimoku?
Chanting the daimoku offers numerous benefits, including:
- Purification of karma: The daimoku is compared to a rhinoceros horn or sandalwood leaf that repels negativity and purifies one’s karma.
- Protection and support: Chanting invokes the protection of the Buddhas and protective forces.
- Spiritual awakening: It cultivates wisdom, compassion, and courage.
- Attainment of Buddhahood: The Lotus Sutra states that anyone who chants “Namu-myoho-renge-kyo” even once will eventually attain Buddhahood.
- Can anyone chant the daimoku and receive benefits?
- Yes, the Lotus Sutra emphasizes that the path to Buddhahood is open to all people, regardless of gender, social status, or past actions. Even those traditionally considered incapable of attaining enlightenment, such as women and those who have committed grave offenses, are embraced by the Lotus Sutra’s teachings and can achieve Buddhahood through chanting the daimoku.
- Is it necessary to chant the entire Lotus Sutra to receive benefits?
- No, the Lotus Sutra states that even chanting one phrase, one sentence, or even one character of the sutra holds immense merit. Chanting the daimoku is considered the most direct way to access the sutra’s power and benefits in the Latter Day of the Law.
- What is the difference between the theoretical and essential teachings of the Lotus Sutra?
- The theoretical teachings, found in the first fourteen chapters, focus on the concept of “3,000 existences in one thought” from a philosophical perspective. The essential teachings, revealed in the latter fourteen chapters, reveal the Buddha’s true identity as the Eternal Buddha and emphasize the practical application of “3,000 existences in one thought” through chanting the daimoku. Nichiren bases his teachings on the essential doctrine, considering it the most relevant and powerful for achieving Buddhahood in the present age.
- How does the Lotus Sutra differ from other Buddhist teachings?
- The Lotus Sutra is considered the culmination of the Buddha’s teachings. While other sutras teach different paths to enlightenment based on individual capacity, the Lotus Sutra reveals the One Buddha Vehicle, asserting that everyone can attain Buddhahood. It surpasses previous teachings by emphasizing the possibility of achieving enlightenment in this lifetime and revealing the inherent Buddha nature within all beings.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for Jan. 4, 2025
If you wish to expound Myōhō Renge Kyō,
Enter the room of the Tathāgata,
Wear the robe of the Tathāgata,
Sit on the seat of the Tathāgata,
[And after doing these three things,]
Expound it to people without fear!To enter the room of the Tathāgata means to have great compassion.
To wear his robe means to be gentle and patient.
To sit on his seat means to see the voidness of all things.
Expound Myōhō Renge Kyō only after you do these [three] things!
An Apology for My Arrogance
Yesterday I wrote about harvesting the promises found in the Lotus Sutra for my yearlong daily Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise project. In that blog post I slighted Kannon Bodhisattva (World-Voice-Perceiver) and suggested some promises contained in the Lotus Sutra were less valuable than others.
I considered just deleting those arrogant portions of the post but decided I needed to confess and to apologize.
The Lotus Sutra has been attacked as a work whose “purpose is wholly to attract stupid lay people.” In particular, the critics pointed to Chapters 19, The Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma, and Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.
In excluding Kannon Bodhisattva and large portions of Chapter 19’s promised merits from my project, I sought to show that even without those parts, the Lotus Sutra is full of wonderful promises that illustrate why Myōhō Renge Kyō is considered the Buddha’s highest teaching.
Not only was I arrogant, but I was the very definition of hypocritical – suggesting one has higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case.
Each month, when my daily reading of the Lotus Sutra gets to Chapter 25, I face my Kannon Bodhisattva statue, light additional incense as an offering to the Bodhisattva, and focus on the benefits of calling the name of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva as I read aloud.
My altar is crowded with protective amulets and statues of protective deities. My practice is the epitome of “inferior, shallow stuff, best laughed at, for alluring stupid men and women.”
“I’m with stupid,” I want to shout. I am proud to say I prefer “inferior, shallow stuff.”
Tao-sheng: The Introductory Chapter
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p161-162As regards the topic, initiating a speech and beginning a discourse must be done gradually. As [the Buddha] is about to issue (ming) the subtle words, he thus manifests auspicious omens first. This [chapter] is organized as a general, organic introduction from which the rest of the chapters evolve; it is [like] the sun and moon of the Dharma Blossom (or Lotus). Here [the Buddha] also intends to shock the vision and hearing of the beings so as to solemnize the mood of those who wish to hear [his words].
About Those Empty, Vulgar Promises
Having scheduled a year’s worth of praise and promises from the Lotus Sutra on this website, I need to address the criticism of that same praise and those lofty promises that were detailed in Yoshiro Tamura’s “Introduction to the Lotus Sutra.”
Yoshiro Tamura, "Introduction to the Lotus Sutra", p59Evaluations of the Lotus Sutra have traditionally run to the two extremes. In this respect, too, the sutra is indeed a wonder. First of all, one of the most severe criticisms of the sutra is the idea that it has no content. In chapter 25 of Emerging from Meditation, Nakamoto Tominaga comments that “the Lotus Sutra praises the Buddha from beginning to end but does not have any real sutra teaching at all, and therefore should not have been called a sutra teaching from the beginning.”
This is not new. I’ve already addressed this “emptiness” of the Lotus Sutra in the past. One can argue that it is deliberate.
In the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, Chih-i portrays the Ultimate Truth by equating it with empty space in a house:
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismEmpty space in a house has neither roof beams nor pillars. The substance of a house, empty space, thus represents the Ultimate Truth. On the other hand, the roof beams and pillars are taken to analogize the cause and effect of Buddhahood. This is because if a house has no void, it cannot contain and receive anything. If the cause and effect of Buddhahood are not based on the Ultimate Truth as substance, they cannot sustain themselves. Thus, Chih-i holds that it is necessary to single out the correct substance that consists of only one empty space, upon which everything is able to function. (Vol. 2, Page 407-408)
The Lotus Sutra is, in effect, a blueprint for assembling all of the Buddha’s expedient teachings. Those roof beams and pillars form the house with empty rooms in which to practice. The emptiness essential to the function of the house is a function of the teaching of the Lotus Sutra.
More recently I published Taigen Dan Leighton discussion of the supposed shortfalls of the Lotus Sutra. In “Visions of Awakening Space and Time: Dōgen and the Lotus Sutra,” Taigen Dan Leighton lists these criticisms and then demolishes them.
The text does refer, in third person, to a designated text that one might keep vainly waiting for, as if for Godot.
However, this perspective misses the manner in which the Lotus sermon certainly does exist. Fundamental messages of the Lotus, such as the One Vehicle and the primacy of the Buddha vehicle, are difficult to miss, even if they might be interpreted in various ways. Furthermore, between the lines the Lotus Sutra functions within itself both as a sacred text or scripture and as a commentary and guidebook to its own use, beyond the literal confines of its own written text. The Lotus Sutra is itself a sacred manifestation of spiritual awakening that proclaims its own sacrality. Right within the text’s proclamation of the wonders of a text with the same name as itself, the text celebrates its own ephemeral quality with the visionary splendors of its assembly of buddhas, bodhisattvas, and spirits, and with the engaging qualities of its parables.
The synthesis of the immanent spirit spoken about in the text and the text’s own intended functioning as an instrument or skillful catalyst to spark awakening has been carried on among its followers.
Dōgen and the Lotus Sutra, p23-24
I should also address whether my entire “promise” project is just another example of how the Lotus Sutra is “merely a vulgar work meant to attract stupid men and women.” That was Tenyu Hattori’s criticism of the entire Lotus Sutra. Tenyu Hattori (1724–69) was a Confucian scholar in Japan who wrote Nakedness, a book that criticized Buddhism.
In Yoshiro Tamura’s “Introduction to the Lotus Sutra,” he discusses Hattori’s criticism:
Yoshiro Tamura, "Introduction to the Lotus Sutra", p61There are many places in the section of the Lotus Sutra that is considered to have come third historically that emphasize the benefits to be obtained in this life, such as the wonderful powers of faith, overcoming suffering, and having good fortune. And generally speaking, in later times devotion to the Lotus Sutra became mainstream as a result of these chapters. This is why such criticisms arose. As we have already seen, the third part of the sutra was added in order to respond to the magical and esoteric Buddhist and folk religions of India. It adds to and supplements the earlier parts of the sutra and, if taken in a positive way, can be its applied part. It is not appropriate to characterize the whole sutra in that way by emphasizing the third part, though historically admiration for the Lotus Sutra in China and Japan generally rested on that part, so, in one sense, we can understand why there were such criticisms.
Perhaps I am stupid. I would even confess to being vulgar in the sense of lacking sophistication. But I enjoyed putting together my eight months of daily promises from the Lotus Sutra and an additional four months of encouragement from Nichiren’s writings. I’m looking forward to reading these promises each morning.