Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra

1.4 In the echoes of the Law I hear,
A newfound gain, my heart does cheer,
Delight immense, doubts disappear,
No longer burdened, I’m finally clear.

1.5 With Buddha’s teachings in my past,
Mahayana’s wisdom, a gift to last,
The voice of Buddha, rare and vast,
Suffering ceases, pain’s shadow cast.

1.6 In mountain valleys or forests deep,
‘Neath tree canopies, I find my keep,
Walking or sitting, in grief, I weep,
Pondering why myself I deceive.

1.7 We, Buddha’s children, in flawless Dharma,
Entered, yet failed to share the karma,
Of the unsurpassed Way, our life’s panorama,
Lost to ourselves, and our future’s drama.

1.8 The golden body, Thirty-Two Features,
Ten Powers, Emancipations – wondrous creatures,
All within the single Law, yet we,
Partake in none, a sorrowful decree.

1.9 Eighty Types of elegance grand,
Eighteen Distinctive Qualities, hand in hand,
But merits such as these evade my reach,
I’ve missed them all, I inwardly screech.

1.10 Walking alone, I saw Buddha bright,
In the great congregation, an awe-inspiring sight,
His teachings benefiting every being,
Deprived of these, was I self-deceiving?

1.11 In day and night, I pondered why,
To Bhagavat, my question did fly:
“Have I missed these blessings, my path awry?”

1.12 Bhagavat, I saw, praised bodhisattvas true,
And pondered day and night, what I should do.

1.13 The voice of Buddha, I hear today,
Teaching impeccable Law, guiding the way,
To enlightenment’s sanctuary, abilities displayed,
Leading us to the truth, our doubts allayed.

1.14 As teacher of Brahmans, embracing false views,
Bhagavat, knowing my heart, lit my inner fuse,
Uprooting erroneous thoughts, nirvana he taught,
From the grip of false views, I was finally caught.

1.15 At that moment, my heart whispered, “Nirvana’s not mine,
Only when a Buddha, can I truly shine.”

1.16 With Thirty-Two Features, revered by all,
Heavenly gods, humans, yaksas, spirits enthral,
Only then shall I break the bonds forevermore,
No remnants left, as a Buddha I soar.

1.17 In the great assembly, Buddha’s prediction,
My future as a Buddha, a divine benediction,
His voice of the Law, all doubts erased,
My regrets vanquished, no more to be faced.

1.18 First hearing Buddha, confusion did rise,
My heart terrified, questioning the skies,
“Is it Mara or Buddha, who speaks in disguise?”

1.19 Skillful teachings, Buddha shares,
Reasoning, parables, metaphors compared,
The Law brings peace, my heart like the sea,
Doubts, like nets, now finally set free.

1.20 Buddhas of past, immeasurable and grand,
In parinirvana, they took their last stand,
Abiding in expedients, their Law expounded,
The same methods used, their wisdom unbounded.

1.21 Boundless Buddhas, present and future,
In number vast, their teachings nurture.
Expedient methods shared across time,
The Law’s sweet song, a celestial rhyme.

1.22 The Bhagavat, through birth and renounce,
Turns Wheel of Law; with light, he does announce.
Expedient means to teach, he employs,
The True Way shared, enlightenment’s joys.

1.23 The Mara’s lies shall bear no true weight,
For Buddha’s path reveals our true fate.
No longer doubt the voice of the divine,
The Mara’s masquerade, we now decline.

1.24 Caught in a net, our doubts we’ve mistaken,
But Buddha’s voice, our hearts awaken.
Gentle and deep, his wisdom resounds,
Pure Law expounded, ecstasy abounds.

1.25 With doubts and regrets forever cast aside,
In True Wisdom’s peace, I now reside.
Assured that I shall rise, a Buddha grand,
By gods and humans, cherished and well-planned.

I turn the Wheel, the Law unsurpassed I share,
Teaching, transforming bodhisattvas with tender care.

Inspired by the Lotus sutra
Chapter 3, section 1, verses 4-25
Student of the Lotus sutra