[F]or the Dharma Flower Sutra one of the worst failings of human beings is an arrogance that leads to supposing that one has arrived at the truth and has no more to do. Anyone who truly wants to fulfill the Lotus Sutra and become a bodhisattva or buddha for others always has more to do. Followers of the Sutra refer to Shakyamuni Buddha as “Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni.” Some might misunderstand this appellation as meaning that the Buddha has arrived at his goal, is finished or perfect, and has no more to do. But in Chapter 16, which is entitled “Lifetime of the Tathagata” and is about the extremely long life of the Buddha, the Buddha says that he has been practicing the bodhisattva way, that is, helping others, for a fantastically long time – and that he is not yet finished. In other words, the long life of the Buddha, rather than being an indication that he has arrived at some static nirvana, indicates nearly the opposite – that he still has a lot of work to do. It follows, of course, that if the Buddha still has a lot of work to do, so do we. And, for that, we have to remain determined to be awakened.