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

Thereupon, monks, those fifty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Brahma angels addressed the Lord, with one voice, in common chorus, with the following two verses.

Unsurpassed wheel, roll forward, begin the beat
Of the immortal drum, release from evils’ deceit,
From hundreds of sorrows set all beings free,
Show the path of Nirvana, the way to eternity.

Expound the law, O Lord, to us make it clear,
Show favor to the world, let us feel you near,
Thy voice so sweet and lovely, let it ring,
Echoing through thousands of kotis of eons, sing.

Now, dear monks, the great Tathagata, Mahabhignagnanabhibhu (Great-Knowledge-and-Dominance) , understanding the prayers of countless celestial beings and the sixteen princes, his sons, began to set in motion the profound wheel of life’s truths. This wheel, with three cycles and twelve parts, is untouched by any mortal or divine being.

He began to teach: “Life is filled with pain, and here’s why. Pain has a source, but it can be overcome, and there’s a way to do it.” He explained the chain of cause and effect that leads to suffering: “Ignorance leads to false ideas, which lead to understanding, and then to the naming of things. This gives rise to the senses, which create contact, feeling, desire, striving, and existence. From existence come birth, aging, death, and all kinds of sorrow. This is how the whole mass of suffering begins.”

But he also showed the way to end this cycle: “By overcoming ignorance, we stop the false ideas, and understanding, naming, senses, contact, feeling, desire, striving, existence, birth, aging, death, and sorrow all cease. This is how the whole mass of suffering can be ended.”

In this way, the Tathagata revealed the interconnected web of life and the path to liberation from suffering.

As the great Tathagata, Mahabhignagnanabhibhu (Great-Knowledge-and-Dominance) , set the profound wheel of life’s truths in motion, an extraordinary transformation began to unfold. Present in his audience were gods, demons, celestial beings, as well as earthly ascetics and scholars, all gathered to hear his wisdom.

As the Tathagata shared the teachings, the minds of an inconceivable number of beings were effortlessly freed from their imperfections. They attained profound insight and wisdom, unlocking abilities and states of meditation previously beyond their reach.

The Lord continued to share his teachings, not just once, but multiple times, and with each exposition, more beings found liberation from their mental and spiritual constraints. The numbers were so vast that they were like the endless sands of a great river, beyond all calculation.

As a result, the community of disciples following the Lord grew to an unimaginable size, each one touched and transformed by the teachings that had been shared. It was a moment of profound spiritual awakening, resonating through the heavens and the earth, touching the very core of existence.

During this time of profound enlightenment, monks, the sixteen princes, filled with faith and inspiration, chose to abandon their royal privileges to embrace a life of spiritual seeking. They became novices, dedicating themselves to wisdom and virtue under the guidance of countless Buddhas, each one pursuing the ultimate state of enlightenment.

These sixteen young seekers approached the great Tathagata, Mahabhignagnanabhibhu (Great-Knowledge-and-Dominance), with a humble request. They acknowledged the incredible power and potency of his teachings and pleaded with him to share his wisdom with them. They expressed a deep desire to understand the profound knowledge of the Tathagata, a desire that he, being all-knowing, could see within them.

Their dedication and sincerity were so compelling that half of the entire royal court, a vast number of beings, followed their example and chose the path of spiritual seeking.