[In the Simile of the Herbs] small herbs represent humans and deities. The middle plants represent hearers and private Buddhas or Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas. Finally, the large plants represent Bodhisattvas. The rain of the Dharma of the Lotus Flower Sutra is intended to be a teaching that is appropriate for all practitioners of the Dharma. No longer is there a separate teaching for different practitioners. The Lotus Sutra is the culmination of all the previous teachings of the Buddha. The Lotus Sutra represents a shift from teachings by expedients to teaching the fundamental truth. You could say that with the teaching of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha has taken the wrapper off of Buddhism.