My perception of this class shifted over time. See for example The Difficulty of Studying the Lotus Sutra and then consider the top of Lesson 17. Then there’s Ambivalence Defined.
- Lesson 1
- Lesson 1 covers “The Virtuous Practices,” the first chapter of the Innumerable Meanings Sutra. An interesting lesson in translation was discovered.
- Lesson 2
- Lesson 2 covers the “Expounding the Dharma” chapter of the Innumerable meanings Sutra. This turned out to be an excellent place to discuss the meaning of Dharma.
- Lesson 3
- The third lesson in this series covers the “Ten Merits” of the Innumerable Meanings Sutra. Within these ten merits there’s an important progression that takes place.
- Lesson 4
- The fourth lesson covers Chapter 1, Introductory, and this introduction to the Lotus Sutra offers an opportunity to consider foundational elements of Buddhism that must be grasped before approaching the teaching of the Lotus Sutra.
- Lesson 5
- The fifth lesson covers Chapter 2, Expedients. The enlightenment of the Śrāvaka and the Pratyekabuddha and the Bodhisattva all come from the One Vehicle. That one vehicle has many, many entrances.
- Lesson 6
- The sixth lesson covers Chapter 3, A Parable, and includes an interesting discussion of faith, practice and magic.
- Lesson 7
- Faith requires discernment and the end of our servile attitude toward the teachings of the Buddha. This is the message in Chapter 4, Understanding by Faith.
- Lesson 8
- The hidden meaning of roots, stalks, twigs, and leaves and the benefits of proper cultivation of Chapter 5, The Simile of Herbs
- Lesson 9
- Three major points are taken from the assurance of future Buddhahood given to the great disciples in Chapter 6. I find these problematic.
- Lesson 10
- Several insightful explanations of Buddhist concepts are offered in this discussion of Chapter 7, The Parable of a Magic City, especially the doctrine of 3,000 Realms in One’s Mind.
- Lesson 11
- The focus in the discussion of Chapter 8, The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Five Hundred Disciples, is the “half-step ahead” principle employed by Pūrṇa, but the real fun happens when discussing which teachings to share with which people.
- Lesson 12
- This lesson covers Chapter 9 and the predictions for Ananda and Rāhula. Of special interest to me was Nikkyō Niwano’s discussion of Rāhula and his practices and how Nikkyo Niwano’s view compares with other authors.
- Lesson 13
- In reviewing what Nikkyō Niwano’s discussion of Chapter 10, the Teacher of the Dharma, I was inspired to compose one of my 800 Years of Faith project essays.
- Lesson 14
- Chapter 11, Beholding the Stūpa of Treasures, is all about symbolism. Some of that symbolism challenges my understanding but one aspect helps clarify my the meaning of the sutra’s organization.
- Lesson 15
- The discussion of the lessons from Chapter 12, Devadatta, again challenges my literalist view of the text of the Lotus Sutra.
- Lesson 16
- What are we to make of the fact that in Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra, the Buddha’s stepmother and former wife are the last to receive predictions of future Buddhahood?
- Lesson 17
- Nikkyō Niwano offers a valuable overview of how the practices advocated in Chapter 14 teach us how to deal with the troubles predicted for the followers of the Lotus Sutra in Chapter 13.
- Lesson 18
- Nikkyō Niwano offers an imaginative explanation of what’s happening Chapter 15, the Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.
- Lesson 19
- Lesson 19 and 20 cover Chapter 16. Lesson 19 focuses on the fundamentals of Buddhism that are essential to understanding the eternal life of the Buddha revealed in the chapter.
- Lesson 20
- For the second half of his discussion of Chapter 16, Nikkyō Niwano focuses on the actual text of the chapter. For my purposes I have focused on his discussion of the difference between observing and seeing the Eternal Buddha.
- Lesson 21
- In considering what Nikkyō Niwano has to say about Chapter 17 in Buddhism for Today, I’ve set aside a lengthy discussion on faith and rewards of faith.
- Lesson 22
- After reading Nikkyō Niwano’s discussion of Chapter 18, The Merits of a Person Who Rejoices at Hearing This Sutra,” I’ve set aside an item I missed on my first time through Buddhism for Today.
- Lesson 23
- When I first read Nikkyō Niwano’s discussion of Chapter 19, The Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma, in Buddhism for Today, I set aside his conclusion about The Four Fearlessnesses of a Bodhisattva. Reading through the chapter for a second time, I have the opportunity to spell out the Four Fearlesses that characterize the Bodhisattva.
- Lesson 24
- In reviewing Chapter 20, Never-Despising Bodhisattva I set aside a number of quotes that I had earlier set aside. For example, the “literary” nature of this chapter and the “three important teachings” found in the chapter. Among these quotes was a gem I had overlooked the first time through.
- Lesson 25
- Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas, is an outwardly simple and straightforward chapter. That simplicity is deceptive, as Nikkyō Niwano’s detailed explanation in Buddhism for Today makes clear.
- Lesson 26
- In reviewing a second time Buddhism for Today’s discussion of Chapter 22, Transmission, I’ve set aside a discussion of the Buddha’s Three Wisdoms and how we are to respond to those who fail to grasp the Lotus Sutra.
- Lesson 27
- In reviewing Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva, for the RKINA 201 class, I want to focus on “practice.” After devoting a year to the discussion of “faith,” I could easily devote just as much time to “practice.” Just as the reality of all things and our provisional existence are not two, our “faith” and “practice” are inseparable – the two sides to a single coin.
- Lesson 28
- I’ve previously set aside several quotes from Nikkyō Niwano’s discussion of Chapter 24, Wonder Sound [Wonderful-Voice] Bodhisattva, but until now I didn’t find a home for his interpretations of the samādhis Wonder Sound practiced. I was surprised by what I discovered.
- Lesson 29
- Previously I’ve published Nikkyō Niwano’s warnings against misinterpreting the message of Chapter 25, The All-Sidedness of the Bodhisattva Regarder of the Cries of the World [The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva]. In reviewing Buddhism for Today, I’ve set aside quotes I’d previously skipped over.
- Lesson 30
- Chapter 26, Dhārānis, is one of Lotus Sutra’s shorter lessons, but it does have some interesting aspects. Consider the crime of making sesame oil without first taking out the worms from the sesame.
- Lesson 31
- Of all the chapters of the Lotus Sutra, I have the closest affinity with Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva. Nikkyō Niwano captures the message in his analysis of this chapter in Buddhism for Today.
- Lesson 32
- In Chapter 28, The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, we open with the newly arrived bodhisattva asking how the good men or women who live after the Buddha’s extinction will be able to obtain this Lotus Sūtra. Nikkyō Niwano offers his interpretation of the Buddha’s answer.
- Lesson 33
- Back in April I complained about Nikkyō Niwano’s penchant for symbolic interpretation of the Lotus Sutra. The sutra says what it means and means what it says, I asserted. But what about when what the sutra is saying isn’t clear? That’s often the case in The Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue (Universal Sage). Into that void steps Nikkyō Niwano.