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

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This briefing synthesizes key themes from the provided source, “Embodying the Lotus Sūtra: The Buddha’s Voice in Our Words,” focusing on the concept of how a practitioner’s actions and words, rooted in the Lotus Sūtra, can become a vehicle for the Buddha’s compassion and wisdom. It draws extensively from the Lotus Sūtra itself, Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings, and modern commentaries.

I. The Power of the Buddha’s Voice Through the Practitioner (Lotus Sūtra, Chapter 19)

Chapter 19 of the Lotus Sūtra, “The Benefits of the Teacher of the Law,” describes the extraordinary merits attained by those who uphold and expound the Lotus Sūtra. Such individuals gain “twelve hundred merits of the tongue,” allowing them to teach the Dharma with profound impact.

• Profound Impact of Their Words: When a votary of the Lotus Sūtra preaches the Dharma, their voice is “deep and wonderful voice capable of penetrating the mind and causing all who hear it to rejoice and delight.” Their words “reach the hearts of the great multitude,” filling listeners with joy. This is because it is “as if the Buddha’s own mind finds voice through their words.”
• Universal Appeal: The teachings shared by such a practitioner draw “beings of every description.” This includes gods and heavenly beings (Śakra, Brahmā, countless deities), mystical beings (dragons, yakṣas, asuras), as well as monks, nuns, laypeople, kings, and ministers. All are said to “gather and joyfully listen,” coming “to pay respect and hear the Dharma.” Even powerful “wheel-turning kings will press their palms together with reverent minds and constantly come to hear and accept the Law.”
• Divine Protection and Recognition: The Buddha promises that “all Buddhas and bodhisattvas themselves rejoice and lend protection” to those who teach the Lotus Sūtra. They “will all face in that direction when they preach the Law,” keeping that teacher in mind, and “will keep him constantly in their thoughts and guard him.” The teacher’s voice is likened to a “lion’s roar” that fearlessly resounds, bringing joy to all.

II. The Practitioner as the Buddha’s Envoy: Compassionate Teaching (Lotus Sūtra, Chapter 10)

Chapter 10, “The Teacher of the Law,” reinforces the idea that spreading the Lotus Sūtra makes one an agent of the Buddha’s compassion.

• Buddha’s Messenger: Shakyamuni Buddha declares that “anyone who teaches others even a single phrase of the Lotus Sutra is the envoy of the Thus Come One.” This means the individual speaks “on the Buddha’s behalf, out of the Buddha’s compassion for all beings.” Such a teacher is described as “clothed in the Buddha’s robe of gentleness and patience, seated upon the Buddha’s seat, carrying on the Buddha’s work.” This directly affirms that “when we share the Dharma with others, we are carrying the Buddha’s intention and spirit – it is as though the Buddha’s own voice comes through our tongue.”

III. Embodying the Sutra: The Example of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging (Lotus Sūtra, Chapter 20)

Chapter 20, “Bodhisattva Never Disparaging,” provides a powerful illustration of “practicing the sutra with one’s life” through actions rather than just words.

• Practice Through Action: Bodhisattva Never Disparaging (Sadāparibhūta) did not primarily read or recite scripture but “practiced its message directly with his actions.” He would “bow deeply to every person he met” and speak words of “sincere respect”: “I have profound reverence for you, I would never dare treat you with disparagement or arrogance. Why? Because you are all practicing the bodhisattva way and are certain to attain Buddhahood.” This “twenty-four-character Lotus Sutra” embodies the “heart of the Lotus Sutra’s teaching: that all people have the Buddha-nature and will become Buddhas.”
• Perseverance Through Opposition: Many reacted negatively to Never Disparaging’s actions, calling him an “ignorant monk” and attacking him “with sticks, tiles and stones.” Despite this, he “never abandoned his respect or patience,” continuing to proclaim, “I would never dare disparage you, for you are all certain to attain Buddhahood!” He “persisted with compassion,” “never stopping bowing to them” and never speaking ill of his tormentors.
• Transformative Outcome: After his life, Never Disparaging heard the Lotus Sūtra, purified his senses, gained a long lifespan, and was able to “teach the Lotus Sutra eloquently to others.” Endowed with “power to preach pleasingly and eloquently,” he returned to his former persecutors. “When the arrogant monks and lay people heard his preaching, they all took faith in him and willingly became his followers.” This shows that “even those who initially reject or oppose the Lotus Sūtra can later be reached and inspired.”
• Shakyamuni’s Past Life: Shakyamuni Buddha reveals that he himself was Bodhisattva Never Disparaging in a previous life. This illustrates that “practicing the sutra with one’s body and mind is the true cause for enlightenment,” and the way to lead many others to enlightenment. When we “practice the sūtra with our bodies,” “we naturally find the words and actions needed to reach all people.”

IV. Nichiren Daishonin’s Emphasis on “Reading the Sutra with Body and Mind”

Nichiren Daishonin, the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist reformer, strongly advocated for embodying the Lotus Sūtra in one’s life.

• Heart of the Lotus Sūtra: Nichiren identified Never Disparaging’s spirit of universal respect as “the heart of the Lotus Sūtra” itself. He urged his followers to adopt this attitude of “respect for the Buddha-nature in all people,” seeing it as the “essential behavior” for practitioners.
• Bodily Reading (Shindoku): Nichiren coined the term “bodily reading” or “practicing the sutra with our bodies,” meaning to live according to the sutra’s teachings through one’s actions, even amidst hardship. He saw his own persecutions as fulfilling the sutra’s predictions, proving he was “truly carrying out the sutra’s path.”
• Contrast with Superficial Practice: In a letter to Nichirō, Nichiren praised his disciple for “read[ing] the entirety of the Lotus Sutra with both body and mind!” He contrasted this with those who “read the Lotus Sutra with their mouths alone, reading only the words, but do not read it with their hearts. And even if they read it with their hearts, they do not read it with their actions.” To “read with the body” means to “demonstrate the Lotus Sutra’s truth in the way one lives.”
• Promises of Protection: Nichiren frequently cited the Lotus Sūtra’s promises of protection for Dharma upholders, such as “The young sons of the heavenly deities will attend and serve him. Swords and staves shall not touch him, and poison will have no power to harm him.” He used this to encourage disciples that “no harm would ultimately come to one who truly embodies the sutra.”
• Infusing Words with Compassion: Nichiren taught that when we “practice the sutra with our bodies” and share the Dharma, “the words we speak are infused with the Buddha’s compassion and power, and can truly ‘reach the hearts’ of others.”

V. Modern Commentary: Sharing the Lotus Sūtra in Our Lives

Modern Buddhist leaders like Josei Toda and Daisaku Ikeda of the Soka Gakkai continue to draw on these teachings, applying them to contemporary practice.

• Modern-Day Never Disparaging: Ikeda likens “the act of sharing Buddhism with others – even in the face of indifference or rejection – to ‘the modern-day equivalent of [Never Disparaging’s] practice.’” He states that sharing “the Mystic Law (Nam-myōhō-renge-kyō)” is like “planting seeds of Buddhahood in people’s lives.”
• Perseverance and Compassion: Ikeda emphasizes the importance of “speak[ing] out and share the correct teachings of Buddhism without being swayed by immediate results.” Even if people don’t accept the teaching immediately, “simply hearing the Dharma creates a lasting connection,” planting a seed of enlightenment that will mature.
• Tireless Effort: “What matters is how many people we’re able to share Buddhism with, based on our genuine desire for their happiness,” Ikeda explains, encouraging practitioners to “keep sharing Buddhism, with conviction and in high spirits.” He affirms, “We are all Bodhisattvas Never Disparaging of the modern day… following the same great path of Buddhist practice as Nichiren.”
• Integrating Word and Deed: Other commentators, like Thich Nhat Hanh, describe “peaceful action, open heart” as embodying the Dharma such that one’s “very presence and example communicate the teaching.” The Lotus Sūtra’s “Introduction” chapter, with its diverse audience, symbolizes the Buddha’s “profound intent to open the way of enlightenment for all living beings, transcending all differences.” When practitioners share Buddhism with a “respectful and fearless spirit,” they fulfill this vow of universal salvation.

Conclusion: Living the Lotus Sūtra, Finding the Words

The consistent message across these sources is that when one truly embodies the Dharma, one’s words gain a special power.

• Compassion and Conviction: The “deep and wonderful voice” is not about rhetoric but the “depth of compassion and conviction behind the words.” By cultivating a compassionate heart and practicing the teachings, “it is effectively the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion speaking through us.”
• Holistic Practice: “Sharing Buddhism or expounding the Dharma is not only an intellectual exercise or formal preaching. It is an act of the whole person.” When one’s “life mirrors the Dharma through integrity, kindness, and fearless faith, then our speech carries a transformative weight.”
• Transformative Connection: People “sense the alignment between our words and deeds – they can feel the truth and compassion in what is being said.” Even if initial acceptance is not granted, “over time the connection created by hearing the Dharma will work in their lives.”
• Universal Salvation: By “practicing the sutra with our bodies and minds,” we enable the Buddha’s spirit to “find voice in our words,” leading “all beings hearing can rejoice and take steps toward enlightenment.” This is the “living power of the Lotus Sūtra in action.”