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 – chapter two of The Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma, also known as the Lotus Sutra.

It’s our 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 2.” Planet Earth: Our Loving Home is up next after Noteworthy News. We wish you much love and kindness in the days ahead.

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 2.” Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television for Planet Earth: Our Loving Home, coming up next after Noteworthy News. May Heaven grace your life with everlasting love and harmony.

We appreciate your loving company for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples. Up next is Planet Earth: Our Loving Home, right after Noteworthy News. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television. Farewell for now.

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

Chapter Two: Expedient Means At that time the World-Honored One calmly arose from his samadhi (the internal state of imperturbability achieved through meditation) and addressed Shariputra, saying: "The wisdom of the Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable. The door to this wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter. Not one of the voice-hearers or pratyekabuddhas (self-awakened Buddhas) is able to comprehend it. What is the reason for this?

A Buddha has personally attended a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a million, a countless number of Buddhas and has fully carried out an immeasurable number of religious practices. He has exerted himself bravely and vigorously, and his name is universally known. He has realized the Dharma that is profound and never known before, and preaches it in accordance with what is appropriate, yet his intention is difficult to understand. Shariputra, ever since I attained Buddhahood I have through various causes and various similes widely expounded my teachings and have used countless expedient means to guide living beings and cause them to renounce attachments. Why is this? Because the Tathagata (Buddha) is fully possessed by both expedient means and the paramita of wisdom. Shariputra, the wisdom of the Tathagata is expansive and profound.

He has immeasurable mercy, unlimited eloquence, power, fearlessness, concentration, emancipation, and samadhis, and has deeply entered the boundless and awakened to the Dharma (true teaching) never before attained. Shariputra, the Tathagata knows how to make various kinds of distinctions and to expound the teachings skillfully. His words are soft and gentle and delight the hearts of the assembly. Shariputra, to sum it up: the Buddha has fully realized the Dharma (true teaching) that is limitless, boundless, never attained before. But stop, Shariputra, I will say no more. Why? Because what the Buddha has achieved is the rarest and most difficult-to-understand Dharma (true teaching).

The true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas. This reality consists of the appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, inherent cause, relation, latent effect, manifest effect, and their consistency from beginning to end." At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: The hero of the world is unfathomable. Among heavenly beings or the people of the world, among all living beings, none can understand the Buddha. The Buddha's power, fearlessness, emancipation and samadhis and the Buddha's other attributes no one can reckon or fathom. Earlier, under the guidance of countless Buddhas he fully acquired and practiced various ways, profound, subtle and wonderful doctrines that are hard to see and hard to understand. For immeasurable millions of kalpas (one kalpa is a period of four hundred and thirty two million years of mortals) he has been practicing these ways until in the place of practice he achieved the goal.

I have already come to see and know completely this great goal and recompense, the meaning of these various natures and characteristics. I and the other Buddhas of the ten directions can now understand these things. This Dharma (true teaching) cannot be described, words fall silent before it. Among the other kinds of living beings there are none who can comprehend it, except the many bodhisattvas (spiritual practitioners) who are firm in the power of faith. The many disciples of the Buddhas in the past have given offerings to the Buddhas, have already cut off all outflows and now are dwelling in their last incarnation. But even such persons as they have not the power needed. Even if the whole world were filled with men like Shariputra, though they exhausted their thoughts and pooled their capacities, they could not fathom the Buddha's knowledge. Even if ten directions were all filled with men like Shariputra or like the other disciples, though they filled the lands in the ten directions and exhausted their thoughts and pooled their capacities, still they could not understand it.

If pratyekabuddhas (self-awakened Buddhas), acute in understanding, without outflows, in their last incarnation, should fill the worlds in the ten directions, as numerous as bamboos in a grove, though they should join together with one mind for a million or for countless kalpas (one kalpa is a period of four hundred and thirty two million years of mortals), hoping to conceive of the Buddha's true wisdom, they could not understand the smallest part of it. If bodhisattvas (spiritual practitioners) newly embarked on their course should give offerings to numberless Buddhas, completely mastering the intent of the various doctrines and also able to preach the Dharma (true teaching) effectively, like so many rice and hemp plants, bamboos or reeds, filling the lands in the ten directions, with a single mind, with their wonderful knowledge, for kalpas (one kalpa is a period of four hundred and thirty two million years of mortals) numerous as Ganges sands should all together pool their thoughts and capacities, they could not understand the Buddha's knowledge. If bodhisattvas who never regress, their number like Ganges sands, with a single mind should join in pondering and seeking, they could not understand it either. I also announce to you, Shariputra, that this profound subtle and wonderful Dharma (true teaching) without outflows, incomprehensible, I have now attained in full. Only I understand its characteristics, and the Buddhas of the ten directions do likewise. Shariputra, you should know that the words of the various Buddhas never differ.

Toward the Dharma preached by the Buddhas you must cultivate a great power of faith. The World-Honored One has long expounded his doctrines and now must reveal the truth. I announce this to the assembly of voice-hearers and to those who seek the vehicle of the pratyekabuddha (self-awakened Buddha); I have enabled people to escape the bonds of suffering and to attain Nirvana (the highest paradise). The Buddha, through the power of expedient means, has shown them the teachings of the three vehicles prying living beings loose from this or that attachment and allowing them to attain release.” At that time among the great assembly there were voice-hearers, arhats (saints) whose outflows had come to an end, Ajnata Kuandinya and the others, twelve hundred persons. And there were monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen who had conceived a desire to become voice-hearers or pratyekabuddhas (self-awakened Buddha). Each of these had this thought: Now for what reason does the World-Honored One so earnestly praise expedient means and state that the Dharma (true teaching) attained by the Buddha is profound and difficult to understand, that it is very difficult to comprehend the meaning of the words he preaches, that not one of the voice-hearers or pratyekabuddhas (self-awakened Buddha) can do so? If the Buddha preaches but one doctrine of emancipation, then we too should be able to attain this Dharma (true teaching) and reach the state of Nirvana (Eternal Bliss). We cannot follow the gist of what he is saying now. At that time Shariputra understood the doubts that were in the minds of the four kinds of believers, and he himself had not fully comprehended. So he addressed the Buddha, saying, “World-Honored One, what causes and conditions lead you to earnestly praise expedient means, the foremost device of the Buddhas, the profound, subtle and wonderful Dharma (true teaching) that is difficult to understand? From times past I have never heard this kind of preaching from the Buddha. Now the four kinds of believers all have doubts. We beg that the World-Honored One earnestly praise this Dharma (true teaching) that is profound, subtle and wonderful, difficult to understand?” At that time Shariputra, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse from, saying: Sun of wisdom, great sage and venerable one, at long last you preach this Dharma (true teaching). You yourself declare you have attained power, fearlessness, samadhis (the internal state of imperturbability achieved through meditation), concentration, emancipation, and these other attributes, and the Dharma (true teaching) that is beyond comprehension.

This Dharma (true teaching) attained in the place of practice no one is capable of questioning you about. ‘My intention is hard to fathom, and no one can question me.’ No one questions, yet you yourself preach, praising the path you walk on. Your wisdom is very subtle and wonderful, that which all the Buddhas attain. The arhats (saints) who are without outflows and those who seek Nirvana (the highest paradise) now have all fallen into the net of doubt, wondering for what reason the Buddha preaches this. Those who seek to become pratyekabuddhas (self-awakened Buddhas), monks and nuns, heavenly beings, dragons and spirits, along with the gandharvas (demigods) and others, look at one another, filled with perplexity, gazing upward at the most honored of two-legged beings. What is the meaning of all this? I beg the Buddha to explain it for us. Among the assembly of voice-hearers the Buddha has said I am foremost, yet now I lack the wisdom to solve these doubts and perplexities. Have I in fact grasped the ultimate Dharma (true teaching), or am I still on the path of practice?

The sons born from the Buddha's mouth press palms together, gaze upward and wait. We beg you to put forth subtle and wonderful sounds and at this time explain to us how it really is. The heavenly beings, dragons, spirits, and the others, their numbers like Ganges sands, the bodhisattvas (spiritual practitioners) seeking to be Buddhas in a great force of eighty thousand, as well as the wheel-turning sage kings come from ten thousands of millions of lands, all press their palms and with reverent minds wish to hear the teaching of perfect endowment.” At that time the Buddha addressed Shariputra, saying, "Stop, stop! There is no need to speak further. If I speak of this matter, then the heavenly and human beings throughout the worlds will all be astonished and doubtful."

Shariputra once more spoke to the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One, we beg you to preach! We beg you to preach! What is the reason? Because this assembly of countless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of asamkhyas (infinitudes) of living beings in the past have seen the Buddhas; their faculties are vigorous and acute and their wisdom is bright. If they hear the Buddha preach, they will be capable of reverent belief." At that time Shariputra, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: “Dharma King, none more highly honored, speak, we beg you, without reserve! In this assembly of numberless beings are those capable of reverent belief.”

The Buddha repeated, "Stop, Shariputra! If I speak of this matter, the heavenly and human beings and asuras (supernatural beings) throughout the worlds will all be astonished and doubtful. The monks who are overbearingly arrogant will fall into a great pit." At that time the World-Honored One repeated what he had said in verse form: “Stop, stop, no need to speak! My Dharma is wonderful and difficult to ponder. Those who are overbearingly arrogant when they hear it will never show reverent belief.” At that time Shariputra once more spoke to the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One, we beg you to preach! We beg you to preach! In this assembly at present the persons like myself number in the hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions.

In age after age we have already attended the Buddhas and received instruction. People of this kind are certain to be capable of reverent belief. Throughout the long night they will gain peace and rest and will enjoy many benefits." At that time Shariputra, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: “Supremely honored among two-legged beings, we beg you to preach this foremost Dharma (true teaching). I who am regarded as the Buddha's eldest son ask you to favor us by preaching distinctions. The countless members of this assembly are capable of according reverent belief to this Dharma (true teaching) The Buddhas have already in age after age taught and converted them in this manner.

All with a single mind and palms pressed together desire to hear and receive the Buddha's words. I and the other twelve hundred of our group, as well as the others who seek to become Buddhas, beg that for the sake of this assembly you will favor us by preaching distinctions. When we hear this Dharma (true teaching) we will be filled with great joy.” At that time the World-Honored One said to Shariputra, "Three times you have stated your earnest request. How can I do other than preach? Now you must listen attentively and carefully ponder. For your sake I will now analyze and explain the matter." When he had spoken these words, there were some five thousand monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen in the assembly who immediately rose from their seats, bowed to the Buddha, and withdrew.

What was the reason for this? These persons had roots of guilt that were deep and manifold, and in addition they were overbearingly arrogant. What they had not attained they supposed they had attained, what they had not understood they supposed they had understood. And because they had this failing, they did not remain where they were. The World-Honored One was silent and did not try to detain them. At this time the Buddha said to Shariputra, "Now this assembly of mine is free of branches and leaves, made up solely of the steadfast and truthful. Shariputra, it is well that these persons of overbearing arrogance have withdrawn. Now listen carefully and I will preach for you." Shariputra said, "So be it, World-Honored One. We are eager to listen!"

The Buddha said to Shariputra, "A wonderful Dharma (true teaching) such as this is preached by the Buddhas, the Tathagatas, at certain times. But like the blooming of the udumbara (a blue lotus that blooms once every 3,000 years), such times come very seldom. Shariputra, you and the others must believe me. The words that the Buddhas preach are not empty or false.

What’s the best way to help the world? Meditate and elevate yourself so that you can help others as well. That’s how you help.

Join us on Supreme Master Television on Monday, September 6, for the conclusion of the teleconference with Supreme Master Ching Hai titled “The Truth about Merits: How to Gain or Lose Them” on Between Master and Disciples.

Tune in to Supreme Master Television today for the teleconference with Supreme Master Ching Hai titled “The Truth about Merits: How to Gain or Lose Them” on Between Master and Disciples.