Lotus Sutra - True Aspect of All Phenomena & Attainment of Buddhahood in the Remote Past

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

Key Concepts:

1. The Lotus Sutra is a foundational text in Mahayana Buddhism, teaching that everyone has the potential to become a Buddha.

2. Prior to the Lotus Sutra, Buddhist teachings suggested that only certain people could attain Buddhahood, typically after many lifetimes of practice.

3. Can move from one world to another only after death. Stepwise Process.

4. Keep on stepping up, eradicate earthly desire, purify their lives, get benefits and virtues to become Buddha.

5. Once they achieve Buddhahood, then other nine world cease to exist. (One World at a time)

6. The Lotus Sutra revolutionized this by teaching that Buddhahood is something everyone can achieve in this lifetime.

Example 1: Comparing Buddhahood to Hidden Gold: Imagine that you are told there’s a treasure hidden in your backyard. Before the Lotus Sutra, people believed that only those with special tools and years of experience could dig up this treasure. The Lotus Sutra reveals that you already have everything you need—just a little digging, and you’ll find the gold. This gold represents Buddhahood, and the digging represents the practice and belief in the teachings.

Example 2: Learning a New Skill: Think about learning to play a musical instrument. Initially, it seems like a daunting task, and you might think only a few gifted people can become great musicians. However, with practice and the right mindset, you discover that anyone can learn to play beautifully. The Lotus Sutra is like a teacher that encourages you, telling you that the potential to play is already within you, waiting to be unlocked.

This teaching of the Lotus Sutra is founded on two doctrines:

Doctrine 1: The True Aspect of All Phenomena

1. The Lotus Sutra is divided into two main parts: the Theoretical Teaching (first 14 chapters) and the Essential Teaching (last 14 chapters). The idea of the true aspect of all phenomena is a key part of the Theoretical Teaching.

2. This concept of “The True Aspect of all Phenomena” is taught in the “Expedient Means” – 2nd chapter of the Lotus Sutra.

3. “True Aspect”: Ultimate Reality or True Essential Nature and “All Phenomena”: World Around Us

4. This doctrine explains that everything in the world, including all aspects of life, shares a common, underlying reality. This reality is the essence of Buddhahood, which means that everyone and everything is fundamentally connected and possesses this potential.

5. It describes how everything in the world, including people and their experiences, is interconnected and shares the same essence, which is the potential for Buddhahood.

6. Once somebody start understanding this principle, they start understanding that fundamentally you cannot separate the true aspect and all phenomena.

7. Nichiren Daishonin explained that “True Aspect” means “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo” and “All Phenomena” means “Living Beings in the Ten Worlds”

8. Every world from “Hell” to Buddhahood” contains “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo”.. Thus Living Beings in all the worlds are equal as each of the world possesses all the ten worlds and are embodiments of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Example 1: The Ice and Water Analogy: Think of water and ice. They may look different, but they’re made of the same substance. Similarly, people might appear different on the outside—some are wise, others less so, some are calm, others anxious—but underneath, they all have the same potential for Buddhahood.

Example 2: The Mirror Reflection: Imagine looking into a mirror. The reflection changes depending on what’s in front of it, but the mirror itself stays the same. The true aspect of all phenomena is like the mirror—it’s the unchanging essence that’s always there, regardless of the surface differences.

Example 3: The Thread in the Fabric: Imagine a piece of fabric. It’s made of many threads, each one contributing to the whole. If you look closely, you see that each thread, no matter how different in color or texture, is essential to the fabric’s existence. In the same way, every person and every phenomenon in life is a thread in the fabric of reality, sharing the same essence of Buddhahood.

Fundamental Purpose of Buddhism:

Mentioned in “Expedient Means” 2nd Chapter of the Lotus Sutra as follows – “ To make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us”. “Expedient Chapter” goes on to explain that

1. 1. The purpose of Buddha to appear in this world is to

   • Open the door of Buddha Wisdom

   • Show the Buddha Wisdom

   • Cause them to awaken to the Buddha Wisdom

   • Induce them to enter the Path of Buddha Wisdom

FOR ALL PEOPLE

Application:

Before the Lotus Sutra, people believed that only those who dedicated their entire lives to spiritual practice could bridge the gap between their ordinary lives and Buddhahood. The Lotus Sutra teaches that this gap doesn’t really exist; it’s just a matter of recognizing and bringing forth the Buddhahood that’s already within each person.

Attainment of Buddhahood in the Remote Past

Key Concepts:

1. Before this chapter, in theoretical teaching (upto 14th chapter), we understood the concept of “True Aspect of All Phenomena”, that is, anyone at anytime can attain Buddhahood however it would actually require practice over numerous lifetimes to do so.

2. Basically, everyone has potential to attain Buddhahood no matter who you are and Buddhahood is present in all living beings.

3. In theoretical teaching, even Shakyamuni is seen as having attained Buddhahood only after practicing for multiple lifetimes.

4. The second part of the Lotus Sutra (Essential Teaching), “Life Span”, 16th chapter reveals that Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment not just during his life in India, but in a distant past. This idea suggests that the potential for enlightenment is eternal and always present.

5. This teaching emphasizes that Buddhahood has always existed, even before the historical Buddha was born. It’s like an ancient wisdom that has always been present, waiting to be discovered by each person.

6. From believe that Siddharth, a prince from Shakya Clan attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya because of accumulated benefits from many past lives resulted in him attaining the Buddhahood for the first time to the fact that he already attained Buddhahood in the remote past fundamentally overturned this existing image.

7. It explains that Shakyamuni Buddha actually attained Buddhahood and became enlightened not in his present existence but who attained enlightenment in the remote past.

8. This means that life state of Buddhahood and other nine worlds were always present. In this way, he embodied the “Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds”.

9. Buddha says in “Life Span”, 16th Chapter that “ As an expedient means I appear to enter nirvana but in truth I do not pass into extinction”

10. This eternal Buddha dwells in the land of Eternally Tranquil Light, which is none other than this saha world.

11. It is the principle of Shakyamuni’s attainment of Buddhahood in the remote past that sheds light on the true nature of life ; namely that, from the most distant past into the limitless future, everyone is essentially a Buddha.

Example - The Ancient Book: Think of an ancient book hidden in a library. It’s been there for centuries, containing profound knowledge. One day, someone finds it and learns from it. The knowledge didn’t suddenly come into existence; it was always there, just waiting to be found. Buddhahood is like that knowledge, always present and ready to be discovered.

Example - Gravity, Aerodynamics, Electricity: All these nature's law were always present in the universe. The entire universe was functioning with these nature's law (one of many). It is just that people at different point of time realized and discovered these phenomenon. It is not like that Newton invented Gravity but he discovered it and put it in the form of mathematical formula. Similarly, Mystic Law is the law of universe, always available. Nichiren Daishonin discovered it and distilled it into formula - Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Just like E = mc2 is a formula that distills the entire knowledge of Einstein's theory of relativity, similarly, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo distill down the entire principles of Lotus Sutra.

Example - The Sun Behind the Clouds: Imagine a cloudy day where the sun is completely hidden. Even though you can’t see it, you know the sun is there, shining as always. Buddhahood is like the sun—always present, even if sometimes obscured by the clouds of daily life.

Implication:

1. This teaching shifts the perspective on life and enlightenment. Instead of seeing Buddhahood as a distant goal, something to be achieved after countless lifetimes, the Lotus Sutra shows that it’s something already present within us. The key is to awaken to it in our current life.