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

The Lord replied to the great spiritual being Maitreya, “Ajita, imagine this: After the complete passing away of the Enlightened One, if anyone, whether a monk or nun, a male or female lay follower, a wise elder, a boy or girl, hears this teaching and joyfully accepts it. And then, after hearing the sermon, they go to a monastery, house, forest, street, village, town, or province with the specific intention of sharing the wisdom they have understood and heard, according to their ability. They share it with their parents, relatives, friends, acquaintances, or anyone else. If that person then joyfully accepts the teachings and shares them with another, and this process continues in succession until fifty people have heard and joyfully accepted the wisdom, then, Ajita, the fiftieth person, whether a young man or woman of noble character, will have accumulated a vast amount of merit connected with their joyful acceptance. Listen carefully, Ajita, for I will now explain this merit to you.”

Imagine, Ajita, that in a vast universe containing four hundred thousand incomprehensibly large worlds, every creature in existence—whether born from an egg, a womb, from humidity, or metamorphosis, whether with shape or without, conscious or unconscious, footless or with many feet—gathered in one place. Picture a generous and virtuous man who provides all these beings with the pleasures, sports, amusements, and enjoyments they desire. He offers each of them an entire world’s worth of delights, including gold, silver, precious gems, elegant carriages, palaces, and towers. This master of generosity continues to shower them with these gifts for eighty years.

Then, Ajita, this great giver, reflects: “I have allowed these beings to enjoy themselves, but now they have grown old, their hair has turned grey, and they are near the end of their lives. I should now guide them toward the spiritual wisdom revealed by the Enlightened One.” So he teaches them the law of the Tathagata, initiating them into its discipline. In a single moment, they all become enlightened beings, reaching various stages of spiritual realization, from those just entering the path to those who become Arhats, free from all imperfections, masters of meditation, and fully liberated.

“What do you think, Ajita?” the Lord asked. “Will this master of generosity, who has done so much, accumulate immense and immeasurable merit?” Maitreya replied to the Lord, “Certainly, Lord; certainly, Blessed One. That person will already have earned tremendous merit simply by giving them all that brings happiness. How much more merit will he have earned by leading them to spiritual enlightenment!”

The Lord then spoke to the great spiritual being Maitreya, saying, “Ajita, consider this comparison: On one side, we have the great master of generosity, who brings happiness to all beings in four hundred thousand incomprehensibly vast worlds and leads them to spiritual enlightenment. On the other side, we have the person who, being the fiftieth in a chain of oral transmission of this teaching, hears even just a single verse or word from this spiritual discourse and joyfully accepts it.

“If we were to compare the merit earned by the joyful acceptance of the teaching with the merit earned by the generosity of the great master, the greater merit would belong to the one who, as the fiftieth in the chain, hears even just a single verse or word and joyfully accepts it. The merit connected with the generosity and guidance to enlightenment by the great master does not amount to even a minuscule fraction of the merit of this joyful acceptance. The vast difference defies calculation, counting, comparison, approximation, or secret teaching.

“So immense and incalculable, Ajita, is the merit gained by the person who joyfully accepts even a single verse or word from this spiritual discourse as the fiftieth in the chain of transmission. How much greater, then, will be the merit of one who hears this teaching in my presence and joyfully accepts it? I declare, Ajita, that the accumulation of merit will be even more immense, beyond all measure.”

Further, Ajita, consider this: If a young man or woman, intending to hear this spiritual discourse, goes to a monastery and listens to this teaching, even if only for a moment, standing or sitting, the merit gained from that simple act will, in their next life, make them possessors of luxurious carriages drawn by oxen, horses, or elephants, as well as splendid litters and celestial aerial cars.

If that person sits down, even just for a moment, to hear this teaching, or encourages another to sit or share their seat, they will gain merit leading to seats of divine beings like Indra and Brahma, and the thrones of a universal ruler.

And, Ajita, if someone encourages another, saying, “Come, friend, and hear the teachings of the Lotus of the True Law,” and that other person listens, even if just for a moment, the one who encouraged will, by that good deed, become connected with enlightened spiritual beings and gain wisdom and keen faculties. For a hundred thousand lifetimes, they will have a pleasant mouth, without disease or offensive odor, with beautiful teeth and lips. Their nose will be well-formed, their face attractive, and their eyebrows and forehead well-shaped. They will have a strong and complete physical form. The teachings of the Enlightened One will become clear to them, and they will soon connect with divine beings and Buddhas.

Consider, Ajita, the immense good that comes from encouraging even one person to listen to these teachings. How much greater will be the merit of those who respectfully hear, read, preach, and spread the spiritual law!