The Mahayana sutras may not be the literal words of Shakyamuni Buddha, but they are in complete harmony with the Three Seals of the Dharma. Therefore, they are recognized as the Buddha’s own teaching. Through their use of myth and poetry to convey the true spirit of the Buddha’s teachings that lie within the words, thed Mahayana sutras may actually be better guides to the true intention or the historical Buddha than those sutras that only attempt to record actual events and discourses. For this reason, we can trust that the Mahayana sutras, and the Lotus Sutra in particular, are authentic expressions of Shakyamuni Buddha’s vision.