Before discussing the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law itself, I wish to comment on the title of the sutra, which expresses in brief the form and content of the sutra. I believe that this title is unique in its succinct expression of the profound meaning of the entire sutra.

The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law, written in Sanskrit, is called Saddharma-puṇḍrika-sūtra. The title as translated into Chinese by Kumārajīva is Miao-fa-lien-hua-ching (Japanese, Myōhō Renge-kyō). In the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law the absolute truth realized by Sakyamuni Buddha is presented. This truth is called the “Wonderful Law” (saddharma, miao-fa, myōhō) because of its profound meaning, as shown in the discussion of the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings.

First, as shown by the words “real state of all things, “Law” means all things that exist in the universe and all events that occur in the world. Secondly, it means the one truth that penetrates all things. Thirdly, it means the Law as an established rule when the truth appears as a phenomenon that we can see with our eyes and hear with our ears. Fourthly, it means the teaching of the truth.

The truth that expresses the original idea of these four meanings of “Wonderful Law” is the Buddha. Accordingly, the Law that rules the relationships of all things, including man, is also the Buddha; and the teaching, explaining how one should live on the basis of the truth, is the Buddha too. In short, the Law and the Buddha are one and the same. In other words, the Buddha and all the functions of the Buddha can be expressed with the word “Law.” Because the Law has such a supreme, profound, and inexpressible meaning, it is modified by the adjective “Wonderful.”

“Lotus” (puṇḍarīka, lien-hua, renge) means the lotus flower. In India this flower was regarded as the most beautiful in the world, for a lotus is rooted in mud but opens as a pure and beautiful flower unsoiled by the mud. This is an allegorical expression of thee fundamental idea of the Lotus Sutra, that though man lives in this corrupt world, he is not tainted by it nor swayed by it, and he can live a beautiful life with perfect freedom of mind.

“Sutra” literally means a string or the warp threads in weaving. The people of ancient India had a custom of decorating their hair with beautiful flowers threaded on a string. In the same way, the holy teachings of the Buddha were gathered into compositions called sutras. Altogether, the title “Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law” means “the supreme teaching that man can lead a correct life, without being swayed by illusions, while living in this corrupt world.”