Buddha or Buddha Gautama, also known as Shakyamuni Buddha, was a great spiritual Master from ancient India. Born as Prince Siddhārtha Gautama in 5th century BC, he would have naturally inherited the vast wealth of a kingdom. However, the prince one day left the palace life in search of spiritual knowledge. After years of contemplative seeking, the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.

He then shared the merits of his practice by providing a method for other sentient beings to be freed from the cycle of death and rebirth. The rich treasury of Buddha’s spiritual teachings on universal truths are studied and revered to this day for their deep wisdom and compassion. Today we would like to share with you the sage teachings of the Buddha, excerpts of chapter three of The Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma, also known as the Lotus Sutra.

Cherished viewers, it has been a pleasure to have you with us for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples here on Supreme Master Television. Join us again next Wednesday for part 2 of “Buddhism’s Sacred Scripture: The Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma, Chapter 3.” Planet Earth: Our Loving Home is up next after Noteworthy News. We wish you much love and kindness in the days ahead.

Enlightened viewers, thank you for your gentle presence for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples. Join us again next Wednesday for part 3 of “Buddhism’s Sacred Scripture: The Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma, Chapter 3.” Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television for Planet Earth: Our Loving Home, coming up next after Noteworthy News. Joyously, we wish you many blessings from the Divine.

Earth-loving viewers, we appreciate your loving company for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples. Join us for the conclusion of chapter 3 of The Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma next Wednesday. Coming up next is ##Planet Earth: Our Loving Home, right after Noteworthy News. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television. May your days be full of joy and happy laughter!

Peace-loving viewers, thank you for joining for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples. Planet Earth: Our Loving Home is coming up next, right after Noteworthy News, so please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television. May you and your loved ones be always embraced in the soothing and healing Melodies of Heaven!

The Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma (Lotus Sutra)

Chapter Three: Simile and Parable At that time Shariputra's mind danced with joy. Then he immediately stood up, pressed his palms together, gazed up in reverence at the face of the Honored-One, and said to the Buddha, "Just now, when I heard from the World-Honored One, this voice of the Dharma (true teaching), my mind seemed to dance and I gained what I had never had before. Why do I say this? Because in the past when I heard a Dharma of this kind from the Buddha and saw how the bodhisattvas received prophecies that in time they would attain Buddhahood, I and the others felt that we had no part in the affair. We were deeply grieved to think we would never gain the immeasurable insight of the Tathagata.

World-Honored One, I have constantly lived in the mountain forest or alone under the trees, sometimes sitting, sometimes walking around, and always I have thought to myself, since I and the others all alike have entered into the nature of the Dharma (true teaching), why does the Tathagata use the Dharma of the Lesser Vehicle to bring us salvation?

But the fault is ours, not that of the World-Honored One. Why do I say this? If he had been willing to wait until the true means for attaining anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (the highest perfection) was preached, then we would surely have obtained release through the Great Vehicle. But we failed to understand that the Buddha was employing expedient means and preaching what was appropriate to the circumstances. So when we first heard the Dharma of the Buddha, we immediately believed and accepted it, supposing that we had gained understanding.

World-Honored One, for a long time now, all day and throughout the night, I have repeatedly taxed myself with this thought. But now I have heard from the Buddha what I had never heard before, a Dharma (true teaching) never known in the past, and it has ended all my doubts and regrets. My body and mind are at ease and I have gained a wonderful feeling of peace and security. Today at last I understand that truly I am the Buddha's son, born from the Buddha's mouth, born through conversion to the Dharma (true teaching), gaining my share of the Buddha's Dharma!"

At that time Shariputra, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: When I heard the sound of this Dharma (true teaching), I gained what I had never had before. My mind was filled with great joy, I was released from all bonds of the net of doubt. From past times I have received the Buddha's teachings and have not been denied the Great Vehicle. The Buddha's sound is very rarely heard, but it can free living beings from distress. Already I have put an end to outflows, and hearing this, am freed from care and distress. I lived in the mountain valleys or under the forest trees, sometimes sitting, sometimes walking around, and constantly I thought of this matter – how severely I taxed myself!

"Why have I been deceived?" I said. "I and the others are sons of the Buddha too, all alike have entered the Dharma that is without outflows, yet in times to come we will never be able to expound the unsurpassed way. The golden body, the thirty-two features, the ten powers, the various emancipations – though all alike share a single Dharma (true teaching), these we will never attain! The eighty types of wonderful characteristics, the eighteen unshared properties – merits such as these are all lost to us!"

When I was walking around alone, I saw the Buddha among the great assembly, his fame filling the ten directions, bringing benefit far and wide to living beings, and I thought to myself, I am deprived of such benefits! How greatly have I been deceived! Constantly, day and night, whenever I pondered over this, I wanted to ask the World-Honored One whether I had indeed been deprived or not. Constantly, when I saw the World-Honored One praising the bodhisattvas, then day and night I would mull this matter over.

But now as I listen to the voice of the Buddha, I see he preaches the Dharma (true teaching) in accordance with what is appropriate, using this hard-to-conceive doctrine of no outflows to lead people to the place of practice. Formerly I was attached to erroneous views, acting as teacher to the Brahmans (members of a cultural and social elite). But the World-Honored One, knowing what was in my mind, rooted out my errors and preached nirvana (eternal bliss). I was freed of all my errors and gained understanding of the Dharma of emptiness.

At that time my mind told me I had reached the stage of extinction, but now I realize that was not true extinction. If the time should come when I can become a Buddha, then I will possess all the thirty-two features and heavenly and human beings, the many yakshas (nature spirits), dragons, spirits and others will hold me in reverence. When that time comes, then I can say that at last all has been wiped out without residue.

In the midst of the great assembly, the Buddha declared that I will become a Buddha. When I heard the sound of this Dharma (true teaching) my doubts and regrets were all wiped away. At first, when I heard the Buddha's preaching, there was great astonishment and doubt in my mind. Is this not a devil pretending to be the Buddha, trying to vex and confuse my mind? I thought. But the Buddha employed various causes, similes, and parables, expounding eloquently.

His mind was peaceful as the sea, and as I listened, I was freed from the net of doubt. The Buddha said that in past ages the countless Buddhas who have passed into extinction rested and abided in the midst of expedient means, and all likewise preached this Dharma (true teaching). The Buddhas of the present and future, whose numbers are beyond calculation, they too will use expedient means in expounding this same Dharma (true teaching). Thus the present World-Honored One, being born and later leaving his family, attaining the way and turning the wheel of the Dharma, likewise employs expedient means in preaching. The World-Honored One preaches the true way. Papiyas would not do that.

Therefore I know for certain this is not a devil pretending to be the Buddha. But because I fell into the net of doubt I supposed this to be the devil's work. Now I hear the Buddha's soft and gentle sound, profound, far-reaching, very subtle and wonderful, expounding and discoursing on the pure Dharma (true teaching), and my mind is filled with great joy. My doubts and regrets are forever ended, I will rest and abide in true wisdom. I am certain I will become a Buddha, to be revered by heavenly and human beings, turning the wheel of the unsurpassed Dharma (true teaching) and teaching and converting the bodhisattvas.

At that time the Buddha said to Shariputra, "Now, in the midst of this great assembly of heavenly and human beings, shramanas (wandering monks), Brahmans (members of a social and cultural elite) and so forth, I say this. In the past, under twenty thousand million Buddhas, for the sake of the unsurpassed way I have constantly taught and converted you. And you throughout the long night followed me and accepted my instruction. Now, because I want to make you recall to mind the way that you originally vowed to follow, for the sake of the voice-hearers I am preaching this Great Vehicle sutra called the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma, a Dharma to instruct the bodhisattvas, one that is guarded and kept in mind by the Buddhas.

Shariputra, in ages to come, after a countless, boundless inconceivable number of kalpas (a kalpa is a period of 432 million mortal years) have passed, you will make offerings to some thousands, ten thousands millions of Buddhas, and will honor and uphold the correct Dharma (true teaching). You will fulfill every aspect of the way of the bodhisattva and will be able to become a Buddha with the name Flower Glow Tathagata, worthy of offerings, of right and universal knowledge, perfect clarity and conduct, well gone, understanding the world, unexcelled worthy, trainer of people, teacher of heavenly and human beings, Buddha, World-Honored One.

Your realm will be called Free from Stain, the land will be level and smooth, pure and beautifully adorned, peaceful, bountiful and happy. Heavenly and human beings will flourish there. The ground will be of lapis lazuli, roads will crisscross it in eight directions, and ropes of gold will mark their boundaries. Beside each road will grow rows of seven-jeweled trees which will constantly flower and bear fruit. And this Flower Glow Tathagata will employ the three vehicles to teach and convert living beings.

Shariputra, when this Buddha appears, although it will not be an evil age, because of his original vow he will preach the Dharma (true teaching) through the three vehicles. His kalpa will be called Great Treasure Adornment. Why will it be called Great Treasure Adornment? Because in that land bodhisattvas will be looked on as a great treasure. Those bodhisattvas will be countless, boundless, inconceivable in number, beyond the reach of reckoning or of simile and parable. Without the power of Buddha wisdom, one cannot understand how many. Whenever these bodhisattvas wish to walk anywhere, jeweled flowers will uphold their feet.

These bodhisattvas will not have just conceived the desire for enlightenment, but all will have spent a long time planting the roots of virtue. Under countless hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, millions of Buddhas they will have carried out Brahma practices in a flawless manner, and will have been perpetually praised by the Buddhas. Constantly they will have cultivated Buddha wisdom, acquiring great transcendental powers and thoroughly understanding the gateways to all the doctrines. They will be upright in character, without duplicity, firm in intent and thought. Bodhisattvas such as this will abound in that land.

Shariputra, the lifespan of the Buddha Flower Glow will be twelve small kalpas, not counting the times when he is still a prince and before he becomes a Buddha. The people of his land will have a lifespan of eight small kalpas. When Flower Glow Tathagata has lived for twelve small kalpas, he will prophesy that the bodhisattva Firm Full will attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (the highest perfection). He will announce to the monks, 'This bodhisattva Firm Full will be the next to become a Buddha. He will be named Flower feet Safely Walking, tathagata, arhat, samyak-sambuddha. His Buddha land will be like mine.' Shariputra, after the Buddha Flower Glow has passed into extinction, the era of the Correct Dharma will last for thirty-two small kalpas, and the era of the Counterfeit Dharma will last for another thirty-two small kalpas."

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: Shariputra, in ages to come you will become a Buddha, of universal wisdom, venerable, bearing the name Flower Glow, and you will save countless multitudes. You will make offerings to numberless Buddhas, be endowed with all the Bodhisattva practices, the ten powers and other blessings, and will realize the unsurpassed way. After countless kalpas have passed, your kalpa will be named Great Treasure Adornment.

Your world will be called Free from Stain, pure, without flaw or defilement. Its land will be made of lapis lazuli, its roads bounded by ropes of gold, and seven-jeweled trees in a jumble of colors will constantly bear blossoms and fruit. The bodhisattvas of that realm will always be firm in intent and thought. Transcendental powers and paramitas (paths to perfection) – each will be endowed with all of these, and under numberless Buddhas they will diligently study the bodhisattva way. Thus these great men will be converted by the Buddha Flower Glow. When that Buddha was still a prince, he gave up his country, abandoned worldly glory, and in his final incarnation left his family and attained the Buddha way.

Flower Glow Buddha will continue in the world for a lifespan of twelve small kalpas. The numerous people of his land will have a life span of eight small kalpas. After that Buddha has passed into extinction, the Correct Dharma will endure in the world for thirty-two small kalpas, saving living beings far and wide. When the correct law has passed away, the Counterfeit Dharma will endure for thirty-two kalpas. The Buddha's relics will circulate widely; heavenly and human beings everywhere will make offerings to them. The actions of Flower Glow Buddha will all be as I have said. This most saintly and venerable of two-legged beings will be foremost and without peer. And he will be none other than you – you should rejoice and count yourself fortunate!