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

Then the Lord turned to the venerable Rāhula-Bhadra and spoke: “Rāhula, in the future, you shall become a Tathāgata, an enlightened one, known by the name ‘The One Going with the Striding Seven-Jeweled Lotus’^⁠11[1], an Arhat, endowed with wisdom and virtuous conduct. After honoring and venerating several Tathāgatas equal to the atoms of ten worlds, you shall always be recognized as the eldest son of those Lord Buddhas, just as you are mine now. The lifetime of that Lord, ‘The One Going with the Striding Seven-Jeweled Lotus,’ and the abundance of his virtues shall be exactly the same as those of the Lord ‘The Expert One Who Joyfully Possesses the Excellent Wisdom of the Ocean.’ The land of the Buddha and its qualities will also mirror those possessed by that Lord. Rāhula, you will be the eldest son of that Tathāgata ‘The Expert One Who Joyfully Possesses the Excellent Wisdom of the Ocean,’ and ultimately, you shall attain supreme and perfect enlightenment.”

Rāhula, my eldest, born in royal embrace,
A prince by birth, now a Seer of grace,
My son, after enlightenment’s call,
A great heir to the law, transcending us all.

Countless kotis of Buddhas he’ll witness in time,
A son to them all, in enlightenment’s climb,
To each Jina a child, in pursuit of the light,
His striving unending, his vision so bright.

His path is unknown to him, yet clear to me,
His vow from the past, his destiny’s key,
“I am the Tathāgata’s son,” he’ll declare,
Glorifying the world’s Friend with fervent prayer.

Myriads of virtues, too vast to be found,
In Rāhula, my son, they richly abound,
For it’s been said, in wisdom’s pure light,
He exists for enlightenment, a beacon so bright.