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The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of
the wonderful Dharma, popularly known as 'the Lotus Sutra', is
revered by millions of Buddhists as containing the core and
culmination of the Buddha's teaching. Together with the two
shorter sutras that traditionally accompany it, Innumerable
Meanings and Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue, it
comprises one of the most important scriptures of Mahayana
Buddhism and indeed, one of the major documents of
world religion.
The Lotus Sutra
consists of a series of lectures by the Shakyamuni Buddha given
toward the end of his forty years of teaching. At the heart of
the sutra are three major concepts of Mahayana Buddhism:
- All
sentient beings can attain Perfect Enlightenment -that is, buddhahood;
- The
Buddha energy is eternal, having existed from the
infinite past and appearing in many forms throughout the
ages to guide and support people through the teaching of
the Dharma; and
- The
noblest form of Buddhist practice is the way of the
bodhisattvas ... those who devote themselves to
attaining enlightenment not only for themselves but for
all sentient beings.
The lotus
flower is special to us because it is rooted in muddy water yet
grows and opens to be a pure and beautiful flower. This is true
of humankind as well. We have the capability to acknowledge our
existence in this chaotic world and by study and practice of the
path; we can grow and blossom into compassionate human beings
with perfect freedom of mind. |
