Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

Last month, I discussed by longing to see young people who could emulate the sons of King Wonderful Adornment and inspire others to “to understand the Dharma by faith.” And yet I understand that it is not one’s age but one’s faith that matters.

I considered myself a Buddhist for more than a quarter century before I became a follower of Nichiren Shu and joined the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church. In that time I seldom talked about my faith outside my immediate family. Today, that has changed. I’m not sure I can explain how. It is just one of the things that I can see is different now. And apparently others can see this too. I am much more likely to discuss my practice and Buddhism with strangers today than I ever was before.

Rev. Ryusho Jeffus in his Lecture on the Lotus Sutra, writes:

I like this story of the two boys, Pure-Store and Pure-Eyes, who end up converting their parents to the Lotus Sutra not so much because of the phenomena the two sons performed but for the example that our actions speak more powerfully than our words. We can convince more people of the truth of the Lotus Sutra through the way we act in society than by merely talking theoretically about Buddhism. Getting through life and the day-to-day concerns we all face may seem ordinary, even hum-drum. However, the manner in which we face and ultimately overcome our problems can look supernatural to others around us who struggle and suffer so much. We don’t need to spout water or fire from our bodies; we merely need to show the joy of our practice in the face of life as human.
Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

In the our modern world, where religious practice seems the domain of only the old, where are the sons of the King of the Dharma, the youth who inspire and lead their parents?

Innumerable, inconceivable, asamkhya kalpas ago, there lived a Buddha called Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom, the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Samyak-sambuddha. His world was called Light-Adornment; the kalpa in which he lived, Gladly-Seen. Under that Buddha lived a king called Wonderful-Adornment. His wife was called Pure-Virtue. They had two sons, Pure-Store and Pure­Eyes by name. The two sons had great supernatural powers, merits, virtues and wisdom. A long time ago, they had already practiced the Way which Bodhisattva should practice. They had already practiced the dana-pararnita, the sila-paramita, the ksanti-pararnita, the virya-paramita, the dhyana-paramita, the prajna-paramita, and the paramita of expediency. They also had already obtained [the four states of mind towards all living beings:] compassion, loving­ kindness, joy and impartiality.

At 64 years of age, I’d estimate that I’m about the average age of those who regularly attend, maybe even on the younger side some Sundays. Reading the story of King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva makes me long to meet a young follower – perhaps two brothers – with a fire of devotion for the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Shonin’s teaching that only the young can possess.

[King Wonderful-Adornment said,] World-­Honored One! These two sons of mine did the work of the Buddha. They converted me from wrong views by displaying wonders. They caused me to dwell peacefully in your teachings. They caused me to see you. These two sons of mine are my teachers. They appeared in my family in order to benefit me. They inspired the roots of good which I had planted in my previous existence.

Thereupon Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom Buddha said to King Wonderful-Adornment, ‘So it is, so it iS. It is just as you say. The good men or women who plant the roots of good will obtain teachers in their successive lives. The teachers will do the work of the Buddha, show the Way [to them], teach them, benefit them, cause them to rejoice, and cause them to enter into the Way to Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Great King, know this! A teacher is a great cause [of your enlightenment] because he leads you, and causes you to see a Buddha and aspire for Anuttara­samyak-sambodhi.

Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

This is one of my favorite chapters. In the two previous months I covered the most important aspects of this chapter – the role of the children as teachers and the outcome of their effort.

An aspect of this chapter that I haven’t commented on before is the ongoing nature of everything. This is not limited to this chapter. It recurs throughout the Lotus Sutra. What was done before sets the stage for today. And today shapes tomorrow.

At the start we learn:

Innumerable, inconceivable, asamkhya kalpas ago, there lived a Buddha called Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom, the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Samyak-sambuddha. His world was called Light-Adornment; the kalpa in which he lived, Gladly-Seen. Under that Buddha lived a king called Wonderful-Adornment. His wife was called Pure-Virtue. They had two sons, Pure-Store and Pure­Eyes by name. The two sons had great supernatural powers, merits, virtues and wisdom. A long time ago, they had already practiced the Way which Bodhisattva should practice.

In the middle we see:

Thereupon Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom Buddha said to King Wonderful-Adornment, ‘So it is, so it is. It is just as you say. The good men or women who plant the roots of good will obtain teachers in their successive lives. The teachers will do the work of the Buddha, show the Way [to them], teach them, benefit them, cause them to rejoice, and cause them to enter into the Way to Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Great King, know this! A teacher is a great cause [of your enlightenment] because he leads you, and causes you to see a Buddha and aspire for Anuttara­-samyak-sambodhi. Great King! Do you see these two sons of yours, or not? They made offerings to six trillion and five hundred thousand billion Buddhas, that is, as many Buddhas as there are sands in the River Ganges, in their previous existence. They attended on those Buddhas respectfully. They kept the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma under those Buddhas, and caused the people of wrong views to have right views out of their compassion towards them.’

And at the end it is revealed:

The Buddha said to the great multitude:

What do you think of this? King Wonderful-Adornment was no one but Flower-Virtue Bodhisattva of today. Queen Pure-Virtue was no one but the Light-Adornment-Appearance Bodhisattva who is now before me. She appeared in that world out of her compassion towards King Wonderful-Adornment and his attendants. The two sons were Medicine-King Bodhisattva and Medicine-Superior Bodhisattva of today. Medicine-King Bodhisattva and Medicine-Superior Bodhisattva have already obtained those great merits. Because they planted the roots of virtue under many hundreds of thousands of billions of Buddhas [in their previous existence], they obtained those inconceivable merits. All gods and men in the world should bow to those who know the names of these two Bodhisattvas.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow: Neverending.

Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

Last month, I focused on the outcome of the effort of two sons who, at the invitation of their mother, convinced their father, a king, to hear the Buddha.

This month I’d like to focus on the role of the children. I find it interesting that this is not the first place in the Lotus Sutra where children are called on to demonstrate their “merits, virtues and wisdom” for the benefit of their elders. The 8-year-old dragon girl is the other example.

Having been inspired by his children to take faith, abdicating his throne, and “acting according to the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma constantly and strenuously for eighty-four thousand years,” the king:

practiced the samadhi for the adornment of all pure merits. Then he went up to the sky seven times as high as the tala-tree, and said to that Buddha, ‘World-­Honored One! These two sons of mine did the work of the Buddha. They converted me from wrong views by displaying wonders. They caused me to dwell peacefully in your teachings. They caused me to see you. These two sons of mine are my teachers. They appeared in my family in order to benefit me. They inspired the roots of good which I had planted in my previous existence.’

Thereupon Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom Buddha said to King Wonderful-Adornment, ‘So it is, so it is. It is just as you say. The good men or women who plant the roots of good will obtain teachers in their successive lives. The teachers will do the work of the Buddha, show the Way [to them], teach them, benefit them, cause them to rejoice, and cause them to enter into the Way to Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Great King, know this! A teacher is a great cause [of your enlightenment] because he leads you, and causes you to see a Buddha and aspire for Anuttara-­samyak-sambodhi. Great King! Do you see these two sons of yours, or not? They made offerings to six trillion and five hundred thousand billion Buddhas, that is, as many Buddhas as there are sands in the River Ganges, in their previous existence. They attended on those Buddhas respectfully. They kept the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma under those Buddhas, and caused the people of wrong views to have right views out of their compassion towards them.’

Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

This story of two sons who, at the invitation of their mother, seek to convince their father, a king, to hear the Buddha is always inspiring. And this time through I want to underline the effect of their efforts:

By displaying these various wonders, they purified the mind of their father, that is, of the king, and caused him to understand the Dharma by faith.

And…

Thereupon the two sons descended from the sky, came to their mother, joined their hands together, and said to her, ‘Our father, the king, has now understood the Dharma by faith. He is now able to aspire for Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. We did the work of the Buddha for the sake of our father.

And…

The two sons led their father by these expedients and caused him to understand the teachings of the Buddha by faith and to wish [to act according to those teachings].

They did the work of the Buddha and caused the king, their father, to understand the Dharma by faith and to wish to act according to those teachings.

Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

One of my favorite chapters, I always have a hard time deciding what to focus on. For example, this time through I was struck by the powers of the two sons and how they obtained them.

The two sons had great supernatural powers, merits, virtues and wisdom. A long time ago, they had already practiced the Way which Bodhisattva should practice.

And…

They also had already obtained [the four states of mind towards all living beings:] compassion, loving-kindness, joy and impartiality.

The Buddha of this time, Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom, expounded the Lotus Sutra with the aim of leading the boys’ father, King Wonderful-Adornment, who held heretical views. The sons, Pure-Store and Pure-Eyes, for their part, don’t immediately approach their father. Instead, they ask their mother to go hear the Lotus Sutra from Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom. It is the mother who reminds her children that they can’t abandon their father. That’s an interesting fact that stands out today.

The mother said to them, ‘Show some wonders to your father out of your compassion towards him! If he sees [the wonders], he will have his mind purified and allow us to go to that Buddha.’

Thereupon the two sons went up to the sky seven times as high as the tala-tree, and displayed various wonders because they were thinking of their father.

And wonders they performed.

By displaying these various wonders, they purified the mind of their father, that is, of the king, and caused him to understand the Dharma by faith.

Seeing [these wonders displayed by] the supernatural powers of his sons, the father had the greatest joy that he had ever had.

For me, the importance of this chapter is the role the children played. As they explain to their mother after convincing their father to hear the Buddha:

We did the work of the Buddha for the sake of our father.

And perhaps more important is the father’s perspective on what has happened:

After he renounced the world, the king acted according to the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma constantly and strenuously for eighty-four thousand years. Then he practiced the samadhi for the adornment of all pure merits. Then he went up to the sky seven times as high as the tala-tree, and said to that Buddha, ‘World-Honored One! These two sons of mine did the work of the Buddha. They converted me from wrong views by displaying wonders. They caused me to dwell peacefully in your teachings. They caused me to see you. These two sons of mine are my teachers. They appeared in my family in order to benefit me. They inspired the roots of good which I had planted in my previous existence.’

Underline the words They inspired the roots of good which I had planted in my previous existence. The sons were the king’s teacher, but the seed of good that sprouted already existed in the king.

Thereupon Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom Buddha said to King Wonderful-Adornment, ‘So it is, so it is. It is just as you say. The good men or women who plant the roots of good will obtain teachers in their successive lives. The teachers will do the work of the Buddha, show the Way [to them], teach them, benefit them, cause them to rejoice, and cause them to enter into the Way to Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Great King, know this! A teacher is a great cause [of your enlightenment] because he leads you, and causes you to see a Buddha and aspire for Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

Last year Ryusho Jeffus, who runs Myosho-ji, Wonderful Voice Temple, in Charlotte, NC, published a children’s book based on this story from the Lotus Sutra. The book, “King Wonderful Adornment,” was illustrated by Kanjo Grohman, a novice Nichiren Shu priest in training at Seattle Choezan Enkyo-ji.

I love the illustrations but the book doesn’t go beyond the point where the king agrees to go hear the Buddha. Missing for me is the point of the story: the father’s roots of good and the promise that “The good men or women who plant the roots of good will obtain teachers in their successive lives.” Children reading this book will miss the best part: The children – with their compassion, loving-kindness, joy and impartiality – were their father’s teacher.

Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

This is one of my favorite chapters. I enjoy the story of the sons doing the work of the Buddha to make it possible for their father to “understand the Dharma by faith” and the lesson that “The good men or women who plant the roots of good will obtain teachers in their successive lives.”

Today, though, I was struck by the realization that the Buddha speaks to everyone, not just to one segment of the gathering or a specific individual. In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha addresses everyone only in Chapters 12, Devadatta; 16, The Duration of the Life of the Tathagata; and 27, King Wonderful Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

1. Introductory – “Thus have I heard.”
2. Expedients – addresses Sariputra
3. A Parable – Sariputra speaks
4. Understanding by Faith – “men living the life of wisdom…” speak
5. The Simile of Herbs – addresses Maha-Kasyapa
6. Assurance of Future Buddhahood – addresses bhiksus
7. The Parable of a Magic City – addresses bhiksus
8. The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Five Hundred Disciples – Purna speaks
9. The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Sravakas Who Have Something More to Learns and the Sravakas Who Have Nothing More to Learn – Ananda and Rahula speak
10. The Teacher of the Dharma – addresses Medicine-King Bodhisattva
11. Beholding the Stupa of Treasures – event
12. Devadatta – addresses “Bodhisattvas, gods, men and the four kinds of devotees”
13. Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra – Medicine-King and Great-Eloquence Bodhisattva-mahasattvas speak
14. Peaceful Practices – Manjusri Bodhisattva-mahasattva speaks
15. The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground – Bodhisattva-mahasattvas speak
16. The Duration of the Life of the Tathagata – addresses “the great multitude including Bodhisattvas and others”
17. The Variety of Merits – addresses Maitreya
18. The Merits of a Person Who Rejoices at Hearing This Sutra – Maitreya speaks
19. The Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma – addresses Constant-Endeavor Bodhisattva-mahasattva
20. Never-Despising Bodhisattva – addresses Great-Power-Obtainer Bodhisattva-mahasattva
21. The Supernatural Powers of the Tathagata – Bodhisattvas from underground speak
22. Transmission – addresses bodhisattvas
23. The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva – Star-King-Flower Bodhisattva speaks
24. Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva – event (emitted rays of light)
25. The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva – Endless-Intent Bodhisattva speaks
26. Dharanis – Medicine-King Bodhisattva speaks
27. King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a  Bodhisattva – addresses “the great multitude”
28. The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva – Universal-Sage Bodhisattva speaks

Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

This is one of my favorite chapters because of the lessons about teachers and doing the work of the Buddha as Bodhisattvas.

The two sons of King Wonderful-Adornment – Pure-Store and Pure-Eyes – were not your ordinary children:

The two sons had great supernatural powers, merit, virtues and wisdom. A Jong time ago, they had already practiced the Way which Bodhisattva should practice. … They also had already obtained the four states of mind towards all living beings:] compassion, loving kindness, joy and impartiality.

At the time, a Buddha called Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom expounded the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, wishing to lead King Wonderful-Adornment. The sons, for their part, had asked their mother for permission to join the Buddha. She convinced the sons to convince their father to give up his heretical views.

The mother said to them, ‘Show some wonders to your father out of your compassion towards him! If he sees [the wonders], he will have his mind purified and allow us to go to that Buddha.’

And the display by the sons had the desired effect:

By displaying these various wonders, they purified the mind of their father, that is, of the king, and caused him to understand the Dharma by faith.

Note that the King’s conversion was the result of his own roots of good:

These two sons of mine did the work of the Buddha. They converted me from wrong views by displaying wonders. They caused me to dwell peacefully in your teachings. They caused me to see you. These two sons of mine are my teachers. They appeared in my family in order to benefit me. They inspired the roots of good which I had planted in my previous existence.

The Buddha’s words on teachers is compelling:

So it is, so it is. It is just as you say. The good men or women who plant the roots of good will obtain teachers in their successive lives. The teachers will do the work of the Buddha, show the Way [to them], teach them, benefit them, cause them to rejoice, and cause them to enter into the Way to Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Great King, know this! A teacher is a great cause [of your enlightenment] because he leads you, and cause you to see a Buddha and aspire for Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

This is a tale of teachers and how we benefit from their efforts. In this case, two sons – Pure Store and Pure Eyes – who “had already practices the Way which Bodhisattvas should practice” and their father, King Wonderful-Adornment.

They also had already obtained [the four states of mind towards all living beings:] compassion, loving-kindness, joy and impartiality.

At the urging of their mother, the sons put on a demonstration for their father.

By displaying these various wonders, they purified the mind of their father, that is, of the king, and caused him to understand the Dharma by faith.

The two sons “did the work of the Buddha” for the sake of their father.

The two sons led their father by these expedients and caused him to understand the teachings of the Buddha by faith and to wish [to act according to those teachings].

Note that the benefit the king received was to understand by faith and to wist to act according to the teachings. Instructed by the Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom Buddha, the king practiced the Lotus Sutra “constantly and strenuously for eighty-four thousand years.” The king said to the Buddha:

World-Honored One! These two sons of mine did the work of the Buddha. They converted me from wrong views by displaying wonders. They caused me to dwell peacefully in your teachings. They caused me to see you. These two sons of mine are my teachers. They appeared in my family in order to benefit me. They inspired the roots of good which I had planted in my previous existence.

“So it is, so it is,” replied the Buddha:

The good men or women who plant the roots of good will obtain teachers in their successive lives. The teachers will do the work of the Buddha, show the Way [to them], teach them, benefit them, cause them to rejoice, and cause them to enter into the Way to Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. Great King, know this! A teacher is a great cause [of your enlightenment] because he leads you, and causes you to see a Buddha and aspire for Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.

Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

The king may hold the title, but the sons, Pure-Store and Pure-Eyes, are the story. These were not ordinary children.

A long time ago, they had already practiced the Way which Bodhisattvas should practice. They had already practiced the dāna-pāramitā, the śīla-pāramitā, the kṣānti-pāramitā, the virya-pāramitā, the dhyāna-pāramitā, the prajñā-pāramitā, and the pāramitā of expediency. They also had already obtained [the four states of mind towards all living beings:] compassion, loving-kindness, joy and impartiality. They also had already practiced the thirty-seven ways to enlightenment. They had done all this perfectly and clearly.

The sons, at the urging of their mother, showed off their supernatural powers before their father in an effort to dissuade him from his heretical views and encourage him to follow Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom Buddha. They were successful:

By displaying these various wonders, they purified the mind of their father, that is, of the king, and caused him to understand the Dharma by faith.

As the sons explain it to their mother: “We did the work of the Buddha for the sake of our father.”

And again:

The two sons led their father by these expedients and caused him to understand the teachings of the Buddha by faith and to wish [to act according to those teachings].

And in the words of their father:

These two sons of mine did the work of the Buddha. They converted me from wrong views by displaying wonders. They caused me to dwell peacefully in your teachings. They caused me to see you. These two sons of mine are my teachers. They appeared in my family in order to benefit me. They inspired the roots of good which I had planted in my previous existence.’

Teachers sprout from the roots of good. As Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom Buddha said to the father of the sons:

The good men or women who plant the roots of good will obtain teachers in their successive lives. The teachers will do the work of the Buddha, show the Way [to them], teach them, benefit them, cause them to rejoice, and cause them to enter into the Way to Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. Great King, know this! A teacher is a great cause [of your enlightenment] because he leads you, and causes you to see a Buddha and aspire for Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.