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

Upon hearing the Lord’s proclamation of their future destiny, the five hundred enlightened disciples (Arhats) were filled with contentment, joy, and delight. They approached the Lord’s place of sitting, humbly bowed to his feet, and confessed:”We acknowledge our mistake, O Lord. We believed we had reached the ultimate state of Nirvana, but we were mistaken. Though we should have strived for a deeper understanding of your wisdom, we settled for mere superficial knowledge.

The situation is like a man visiting a friend’s house. While there, he becomes drunk or falls asleep. His friend, wishing to gift him a priceless gem, secretly ties it within his garment. Later, the man leaves and faces many hardships in another country, struggling for basic necessities like food and clothing. He remains unaware of the treasure hidden in his garment.

One day, the old friend who had given him the gem finds him again and is shocked at his struggles. He tells him, ‘My good friend, why are you struggling so? I have hidden a priceless gem in your garment to ensure your comfort and fulfillment. Use this gem to buy all you need. It’s foolish to struggle when you have such wealth.’In the same way, O Lord, you have instilled in us a pearl of profound wisdom, even though we were unaware of it. We thought we had reached Nirvana as Arhats, but we were merely content with a shallow understanding. Thankfully, our longing for greater wisdom never ceased, and you’ve shown us the truth. You’ve taught us that we shouldn’t be content with such limited knowledge, that there is more to explore and learn. Now you predict our journey to supreme and perfect understanding.”And at that moment, the five hundred self-controlled Arhats, led by Anna Kondanna, expressed their realization in the following verses:

With joy, we cheer, with hearts alight,

For highest wisdom’s promised sight,

O Lord, whose sight knows no bound,

To thee our homage we resound!

Our fault we lay before thy feet,

Childish were we, in knowledge fleet,

Content with mere Nirvana’s part,

Under the guide of Sugata’s art.

Like one who dines at a friend’s abode,

Rich and wealthy, with plenty bestowed,

Nourished with food, both hard and soft,

A priceless jewel given, hands aloft.

Tied within the robe with care,

The friend’s delight in gift so rare,

The man departs, unknowing, free,

The jewel’s there, but none does he see.

In another town, he begs for bread,

Miserable, forgotten, full of dread,

The jewel forgotten, no memory at all,

Content with scraps, in hardship’s thrall.

But his old friend finds him one fine day,

Shows him the jewel, hidden away,

Rich and powerful, the man now stands,

Enjoying life’s pleasures in many lands.

We were like him, O Lord divine,

Unaware of wisdom, yet truly thine,

Aspirations laid by thee, time without end,

Unknown to us, but our truest friend.

In this world, with dull minds, we trod,

Under Sugata’s rule, content with flawed,

Nirvana’s glimpse, nothing higher sought,

A greater wisdom was what we fought.

But the Friend of the world showed the way,

“This is not Rest; more lies in the fray,

Highest knowledge, that’s true beatitude,

Seek it with heart, embrace its magnitude.”

Now, with joy, prediction’s sound,

In our hearts, a truth profound,

The path ahead, clear and bright,

Our succession, in wisdom’s light.