Sometimes our life as we lead it becomes an unspoken witness to the validity of the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Just as Many Treasures Buddha said, “So it is, so it is,” our unspoken actions are that declaration of “so it is, so it is.” Of course if our actions are contrary to the Lotus Sutra, then even if we affirm the doctrinal correctness or even doctrinal superiority of the Lotus Sutra we will be lacking the function in our life of Many Treasures Buddha.

Chapter XVI is the most important part of the Lotus Sutra for in this chapter is revealed the idea that Buddha is not a person of historical significance. The Buddha is not tied to a physical body who lived and died some twenty-five hundred years ago. The Buddha is not limited to this realm. The Buddha is not the possession of one person only. What is revealed is the eternal nature, the eternally existing, the eternally residing aspect of the Buddha, or as we abbreviate it, the Eternal Buddha. This is not understood in any rational way. It is actually quite unbelievable and, truth be told, logically impossible. Our ever-so-clever minds actually limit our ability to transcend all of this and approach understanding by faith. I believe that understanding the Eternal Buddha is experiential, and that words only talk around the idea. The words in Chapter XVI can lead us to that idea and can help to open the door to understanding by faith because they challenge us to set aside all the rational stuff we are attached to. The words challenge us to, even if for a moment, open ourselves up to connecting with life in a way no book, no computer, no TV show, no sexual experience, or what have you is able to.

Unfortunately in Buddhism there is no supper convenient app for enlightenment. It isn’t as easy as pulling out your smart phone or electronic device and becoming enlightened. There will be times of great struggle, and there will be times of ease, but everything that occurs in our lives is an opportunity to further develop our inner Buddha potential. When we can face our obstacles with the inner joy of being given an opportunity to grow, we can transform that moment into a moment of enlightenment.

If we say we are Buddhist but have no practice or don’t follow the precepts we are like a plant with no stem or tree without a trunk. It won’t be possible for us to support our faith and wisdom without the connection the stem provides. So too our practice, our chanting Odaimoku is the connection that allows our faith and our wisdom to grow. Our faith harmoniously supports our practice and wisdom. You could say that study is our mind, which are the branches holding the leaves or wisdom of our lives. Our manifestation of enlightenment is dependent upon our faith, our practice, and our study. Without all three we cannot effectively maintain the kind of life that is capable of manifesting our innate Buddha potential.

Inside your very life right now already exist the answers and the awareness of the truth of life. Now the challenge, and this is why there is a Buddhist practice, is to awaken it, acknowledge it, and manifest those truths in our lives as we live out our day-to-day existence; perhaps not easy, but definitely not impossible.

Buddhism is not about acquiring knowledge. It couldn’t work like that. Buddhism is somewhat like realizing you are left handed after years of trying to be right handed. Enlightenment, awakening to the Buddha within your life is about realizing your life’s greatest potential and your life’s greatest awareness of the true nature of reality.

Becoming enlightened is not about acquiring something from outside and bringing it inside your life, it is about awakening that potential already existing within your life.