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

Source: Chapter 14e of The Great Teachings of The Lotus of the True Law. It features a dialogue between Mañjuśrī and the Buddha.

Main Themes:

• Virtuous Conduct: This passage describes the ethical behavior expected of a Bodhisattva Mahāsattva. These expectations are crucial during times when the true teachings are in decline.
• Respect for Others: The emphasis is on respecting all beings on the spiritual path. This respect applies regardless of their perceived level of attainment.
• Sharing the Teachings: The importance of sharing the Buddha’s teachings with fairness, impartiality, and without personal bias is highlighted.

Key Ideas and Facts:

1. Absence of negativity: The Great Spiritual Seeker lacks envy, dishonesty, and deceit. They refrain from speaking ill of or belittling fellow practitioners.

“The one who upholds this Sūtra does not speak ill of other spiritual seekers on the Bodhisattva path, nor does he or she defame or belittle them.”

1. Respect for all paths: They show respect for all who are pursuing spiritual paths. This includes monks, nuns, and laypersons. It also includes those on the path of discipleship and those seeking individual enlightenment (Hermit Buddhas).

“They do not highlight the faults of other monks, nuns, male or female lay devotees, nor those following the path of discipleship or the path of the Hermit Buddhas (individual enlightenment).”

1. Compassionate Attitude: They maintain a compassionate attitude towards all beings and avoid engaging in disputes about spiritual teachings.

“Furthermore, they do not delight in or engage in disputes about spiritual teachings, always maintaining a compassionate attitude towards all beings.”

1. Reverence for Teachers: They show deep reverence for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, regarding them as fathers and masters, respectively.

“They regard all Tathāgatas with reverence, as if they were their fathers, and all Bodhisattvas as if they were their masters.”

1. Impartial Sharing of Teachings: They share the teachings with fairness and impartiality, without favoring any specific aspect.

“When they preach, they do so with fairness and impartiality, focusing solely on the teachings without showing favoritism to any particular aspect.”

1. Positive Reception: These Great Spiritual Seekers will find support within spiritual communities. Attentive listeners will receive the teachings with belief and respect.

“In the gatherings and spiritual communities, they will find support and allies. They will also find attentive listeners who will not only hear these teachings but will believe in them, accept them, uphold them, read them, delve into them, and write them down.”

Overall: The passage presents a clear and detailed picture of the expected conduct and virtues of a Great Spiritual Seeker. These qualities are crucial for upholding the Dharma, particularly in challenging times when the teachings are declining. Their embodiment ensures the continued transmission and flourishing of the Buddha’s teachings.