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

Subject: Analysis of key themes and teachings within Chapter 22d of the Lotus Sutra.

Sources: Excerpt from “The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law,” by William Altig, specifically Chapter 22d – The Lotus of the True Law Teaching and The Charge to Preserve It

Executive Summary:

This chapter of the Lotus Sutra emphasizes the immense power and transformative potential of the “Lotus of the True Law” (likely the Lotus Sutra itself) and the specific chapter of the “Ancient Devotion of Medicine King”. The text portrays the teachings as a universal panacea for suffering, a guide to enlightenment, and a source of immense merit and spiritual power. It outlines the benefits of embracing, honoring, and preserving these teachings, emphasizing the transformative impact they have on individuals in this life and in future rebirths. The chapter concludes with a charge to preserve the teachings for future generations and acknowledges the profound wisdom and merit inherent within them.

Key Themes and Ideas:

1. The Lotus of the True Law as a Source of Universal Salvation: The sutra presents the “Lotus of the True Law” as a comprehensive solution to all suffering. It uses a powerful series of metaphors to illustrate its beneficial qualities:

• “a savior from all fears and pains”
• “a refreshing tank for the thirsty, a warming fire for the cold, clothing for the naked”
• “a guide for travelers, a mother’s care, a boat across troubled waters”
• “a healer for the sick, a lamp in the darkness, a treasure for the needy”
• “the ocean’s embrace for rivers, and a torch that scatters shadows” These metaphors highlight the Sutra’s capacity to provide comfort, guidance, and liberation from suffering in all its forms.

1. Immense Merit Through Devotion and Practice: The text stresses the unparalleled merit accrued from embracing, honoring, and propagating the teachings:

• “He who learns and honors these teachings with devotion, using offerings of flowers, incense, music, and lamps, will gain a merit so immense that it defies comprehension.”
• This merit is described as so profound that it transcends the limitations of the physical world, being “unburnable by fire, and unwashable by water.”
• The reward for study and practice is not only immense merit but also the potential to achieve Buddhahood and become a Bodhisattva.

1. Transformation and Liberation: Engaging with the teachings promises liberation from the cycles of suffering and rebirth:

• For women who understand and embrace these teachings, “she won’t be born as a woman again in her next life.”
• Those who embrace the teachings will “be reborn in the paradise known as Sukhavati…seated on a lotus throne there, free from earthly emotions like hatred, pride, envy, or wrath.”
• The teachings impart spiritual faculties, allowing practitioners to understand “the eternal law” and progress on the path to enlightenment.

1. Emphasis on the Power of the Specific Teaching – Ancient Devotion of Medicine King: The text specifically elevates the “Ancient Devotion of Medicine King” within the Lotus Sutra. Embracing this chapter offers not only spiritual liberation, but temporal blessings including:

• “…spiritual freshness, akin to the sweet scent of a lotus or the fragrance of sandalwood emanating from their very being.”
• The promise of protection from sickness, aging, and unexpected death, declaring that “Anyone who hears it will not be overwhelmed by sickness, aging, or unexpected death.”
• It is the “essence of the star’s radiance”
• It is declared to be a “healing balm for the sick and suffering”.

1. Importance of Monks and Teachers of the Sutra: Monks who are devoted to the teachings are highly honored:

• They are presented as guides on the path to enlightenment.
• Lay people are encouraged to “honor the monk with offerings of sandalwood powder and blue lotuses… [and] see in him a warrior against evil, a herald of wisdom, and a navigator across life’s tumultuous ocean.”
• This highlights the crucial role of the spiritual community and the transmission of teachings.

1. Preservation and Propagation: The chapter concludes with a charge to preserve and teach this specific chapter of the Lotus Sutra:

• “…I entrust you with this chapter…ensuring that it continues to be taught here on Earth and is never lost.”
• There is assurance that neither “evil forces nor other supernatural beings will have the opportunity to harm it.”

1. Divine Approval: The narrative emphasizes the divine endorsement of the teachings:

• Lord Prabhutaratna, a revered enlightened being, praises Understanding-the-Essence-of-the-Star’s-Radiance for their wisdom. He commends the “quest for wisdom” as “to be commended”
• This approval validates the power and authenticity of the teachings.
• The Buddhas declare the merit achieved through sharing and studying these teachings as “immense” and unparalleled, with a spiritual power that cannot be matched.

1. The transformative power of understanding:

• Those who embrace the teachings of the ancient devotion of the Medicine King will experience, “spiritual freshness, akin to the sweet scent of a lotus or the fragrance of sandalwood emanating from their very being.”
• This underscores the sensory, physical, and personal transformation brought about by the teachings.

Conclusion:

Chapter 22d of the Lotus Sutra, as represented by this excerpt, presents a powerful message about the transformative potential of the Lotus Sutra teachings, specifically emphasizing the “Ancient Devotion of Medicine King” as a critical and potent source of spiritual benefit. It underscores the importance of devotion, practice, and the preservation of these teachings for the benefit of all beings, promising both temporal blessings and profound liberation. The divine acknowledgment of these teachings emphasizes their authority and profound impact. The themes of merit, transformation, and the universal accessibility of salvation are central to the message.

Chapter 22d–The Lotus of the True Law Teaching and The Charge to Preserve It