MindYourBuddha

Virtues reads like the executive summary for the Threefold Lotus Sutra, except that instead of a pithy recap, we see a lavish Hollywood production.  The scene is a celebration atop Mt Grdhrakuta, also known as Vulture Peak or Divine Eagle Peak, with a cast of thousands of monks, nuns, lay persons, gods, dragons, spirits, animals and demons all worshiping the Buddha.  Presumably the Buddha's mastery over all planes of consciousness permits every manner of being and spirit to be present at once.  The Buddha's virtues are both extolled in physical attributes and stated as indescribable, thus indicating he is both other worldly and super natural.  The great orator, the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Great Adornment addresses the assembly in verse, admiring the Buddha's mind and the beauty of the Buddha's face, body and voice, which were naturally manifested by his virtue.  The verse concludes with the words:

We submit ourselves to the one who has accomplished all hard things

I think we can safely assume the purpose of this story is to help the people of the day remember the unique and unsurpassed nature of the Buddha who's gift to us, shown us in numerous ways, was the path to the truth.  One of the many virtues of Buddhism is that it is pragmatic.  The Buddha wants us to prove these teachings for ourselves - meaning that the teachings should be consistent with our experiences.  Contrast the theatrical story in 'Virtues' to the retelling of the Buddha's awakening.  When awakened the Buddha meets his friends and they ridicule him for leaving the ascetic way and indulging in food and clothing.  He looks ordinary so there is no immediate recognition that he has changed.

Buddhism is not about being special.  Buddhism is about being ordinary, and it is not about the continual exudation of bliss, it is about walking a normal life with normal human beings doing normal human things and this reminds you that you yourself might be a Buddha at this moment, and the people you see may be a Buddha.  As an interesting practice, to each person you see, ask Buddha, Buddha, Buddha?
by Jane Hirshfield - Poet, appearing in the movie "The Buddha"

What's more significant in the 'Virtues' is that we get a glimpse of how to follow the path.  As retold by Bodhisattva Ananda, who has mastery over recollection, and who starts the 'Virtues' with the phrase "THUS HAVE I HEARD", to roll the Law-wheel (practice the dharma) requires the following:

First, dipping the dust of desire in a drop of the teachings, they remove the fever of the passions of life and realize the serenity of the Law by opening the gate of nirvana and fanning the wind of emancipation.  Next, raining the profound Law of the Twelve Causes, they pour it on the violent and intense rays of sufferings - ignorance, old age, illness, death, and so on; then pouring abundantly the supreme Mahayana, they dip all the good roots of living beings in it, scatter the seeds of goodness over the field of merits, and make all put forth the sprout of buddhahood.

So the three-step recipe for enlightenment is first to read the teachings, second to understand the twelve laws of causation, follow the six perfections and the eightfold path, and third to spread the teachings.  The first two steps are known as the Hinayana teaching, or lesser vehicle.  So called by the monks of the day because it focuses on the individual practice of understanding and eliminating suffering.  The Mahayana teaching, the great vehicle, includes the third step whereby we practice Buddhism not for ourselves but for the sake of others.

The importance of practice cannot be understated.  Buddha showed us the way by practicing the Six Paramitas (perfections):

For his tremendous effort we give praise to the world-honored one who has accomplished all hard things.  The Buddha completely donated his life to the compassion and teaching of others.  He provided a way for us all to become Buddhas.

As my study leader, the Reverend Naiomi Nakumura likes to remind us.  As a start, pick someone, see their virtues and seek to understand how wonderful they are.

The Threefold Lotus Sutra has been described as a noble work of art, difficult to plumb the depths of, but the mere attempt is life transforming.  On the surface it is full of fantastic tall tales of supernatural beings and events, described in an ancient vocabulary rich with exaggeration which continuously focuses on a principled way of life the Buddha espoused for all of us.  Passages such as:   

Only after kotis and kotis of myriads of kalpas of inconceivable reach, does the time finally arrive when this Dharma Flower Sutra can be heard

reveal both the literary skill of the original translators and the truth that to embark on the path takes patience and perseverance.

I'm told, one needs to read the sutra first, then experience the merits of the sutra first hand, and then dedicate to its practice.  At every stage its effects are felt.

The Buddha said:

    My good children! First, this sutra can:
    Make an unawakened Bodhisattva aspire to the mind of awakening,
    Make one without kindness give rise to the mind of compassion,
    Make one who likes slaughter give rise to the mind of great mercy,
    Make a jealous one give rise to the mind of joy for others,
    Make one with attachments give rise to the mind of non-attachment,
    Make a miserly one give rise to the mind of generosity,
    Make and arrogant one give rise to the mind of keeping the precepts,
    Make a lazy one give rise to the mind of diligence,
    Make a distracted one give rise to the mind of meditation,
    Make an ignorant one give rise tho the mind of wisdom,
    Make one who does not think of liberating others give rise to the mind of liberating them,
    Make one who commits the ten evils give rise to the mind of the ten virtues,
    Make one drawn to conditioned phenomena aspire to overcome them,
    Make one who regresses build the mind of progressing,
    Make one who commits defiled acts give rise to the mind of undefilement, and
    Make one with many delusive passions give rise to the mind of extinguishing them.

As someone who has spent a pile of money on self-improvement books, if the sutra makes good on only smidgen of these changes, it will have been a great investment in my time.

It's best to have a companion guide when you read the sutra because there are numerous Sanskrit names and terms that need explaining, and you will need help to sort out what passages can be taken literally and what are symbolic, along with an accepted interpretation of the meaning.  I am using the "Buddhism For Today" by Nikkyo Niwano.

I'm also very fortunate to be part of a study group at my local Buddhist church, Rissho Kosei-kai, in Federal Way, WA.  Rissho Kosei-kai is a worldwide Buddhist organization founded in Japan in 1938 by Nikkyo Niwano and Myoko Naganuma. It combines the wisdom of both the Lotus Sutra and the foundational teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. Its purpose is to bring these trans-formative teachings to the modern world.  Rissho Kosei-kai is a Buddhist organization composed of ordinary men and women who have faith in the Buddha and strive to enrich their spirituality by applying his teachings in their daily lives. At both the local community and international levels, they are very active in promoting peace and well-being through altruistic activities and cooperation with other organizations. With headquarters in Tokyo, Rissho Kosei-kai now has some 2.05 million member households in 245 churches throughout Japan as well as in other countries.


References







 Threefold-Lotus-Sutra
1. The Threefold Lotus Sutra by Bunno Kato and Yoshiro Tamura, 1989









 Buddhism For Today
2. Buddhism for Today: A Modern Interpretation of the Threefold Lotus Sutra by Nikkyo Niwano, 1989