The Lotus Sutra: Volume11
Hello, everyone. Welcome to this episode of the podcast provided by the Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated of Australia.
Today, we continue our exploration of the Lotus Sutra, delving into the eleventh chapter, “The Appearance of a Jewelled Stupa.”
The Jewelled Stupa Appears, Many Treasures Buddha Bears Witness
As the Buddha was speaking, a magnificent seven-jewelled stupa suddenly emerged from the ground and hovered in the air. From within the stupa, a resounding voice praised Śākyamuni Buddha, saying: “Splendid, splendid! Śākyamuni, the Lotus Sutra you teach is entirely true and real!”
This strange sight filled the great assembly with both surprise and joy. Bodhisattva Great Joy of Preaching, on behalf of the assembly, asked the Buddha for the reason. The Buddha explained that the Buddha in the stupa is Many Treasures Tathāgata. While on the bodhisattva path, Many Treasures Buddha made a great vow that wherever in the ten directions the Lotus Sutra is being taught, his stupa would emerge from the ground to personally bear witness to the sutra.
Buddhas from the Ten Directions Gather
In order to reveal his entire body, Many Treasures Buddha had made another vow: he would only appear after all of Śākyamuni Buddha’s emanated forms from the ten directions had been gathered.
So, Śākyamuni Buddha emitted a ray of light from the tuft of white hair between his eyebrows, illuminating countless buddha lands in the ten directions. In an instant, innumerable emanated buddhas, each accompanied by an attendant bodhisattva, arrived in the sahā world. To accommodate this vast number of buddhas, Śākyamuni Buddha used his transcendent powers to transform the sahā world into a boundless and pure land, and temporarily moved its inhabitants to other lands.
After all the emanated buddhas were seated on their lion thrones under the jewelled trees, Śākyamuni Buddha opened the door of the jewelled stupa with his right finger. Many Treasures Buddha was seated peacefully within and offered half of his seat to Śākyamuni Buddha. The two Buddhas then sat together.
The Difficulty of Propagating the Sutra, The Power of the Great Vow
With the two Buddhas seated and the assembly floating in the air, Śākyamuni Buddha posed a critical question to the great assembly: “Who can extensively teach the Lotus Sutra in this sahā world?” This question entrusted the responsibility of propagating the sutra to all the bodhisattvas and sentient beings present.
The Buddha then used a series of seemingly impossible tasks to highlight the extreme difficulty of this task:
- Throwing Mount Sumeru to a distant buddha land is not difficult.
- Using a toe to shake the great manifold cosmos is not difficult.
- Carrying dry grass into a conflagration at the end of a kalpa and not being burned is not difficult.
- Even teaching the Dharma to countless beings and enabling them all to attain Arhatship is not difficult.
However, to teach even one line of the Lotus Sutra to a single person, to temporarily uphold it, or to hear it and inquire about its meaning in the defiled world after the Buddha’s passing—this is the most difficult task of all.
This comparison is meant to inspire us to make a great vow. By manifesting this incredible miracle with Many Treasures Buddha and all his emanated forms, the Buddha sought to give us boundless faith in this sutra and the willingness to make a great vow to protect and propagate it in the evil age.
Conclusion
“The Appearance of a Jewelled Stupa” is a dharma assembly that is beyond our imagination. It proves the truth and supremacy of the Lotus Sutra.
The Buddha tells us that those who can uphold this sutra in the future defiled world are true children of the Buddha and the eyes of the world for all sentient beings in the darkness. They are models of courage, perseverance, and keeping the precepts, and they will swiftly attain the highest path to Buddhahood.
Therefore, let us transform our faith in the Dharma into action. May we all make a great vow to learn, protect, and propagate the Lotus Sutra with a mind free of hope, with deep reverence for the Dharma, and with great compassion. Let us become the true children of the Buddha whom he praised!
Thank you.
