Buddhism and Lotus Sutra - Essay Example

This paper will uncover what is taking place in the writing provided, The Lotus Sutra, and the story being told. It will also discuss the lesson learned from the writing.

This sutra, according to the volume provided, is known for its wide instruction on the perception and treatment of skillful means – (Japanese: hōben, Sanskrit: upāya), the perfection of a Bodhisattva or the seventh paramita – frequently in the form of parables or allegories. Also, the book tells us that lotus was one of the earliest sutras to use the term "Great Vehicle" or Mahāyāna Buddhism. One more concept established by the Lotus Sutra is the thought that the Buddha is an everlasting entity, who attained paradise eons ago, but freely chose to stay, in the cycle of renaissance, (samsara) to assist teach humans the Dharma over and over again (Kubo & Yuyama 159). Lotus Sutra portrays himself as the "father" or head of all beings and demonstrates the same loving care as that of a father to his children. In addition, the sutra points out that even after the Parinirvana (apparent physical death) of a Buddha, Buddha goes on to be real and able to communicate with the entire world.

The thought that the physical passing away of a Buddha, according to Kubo & Yuyama (15), is the extinction of that Buddha is graphically disproved by the society and the significance of the scripture, whereby another Buddha, who died long ago, appears and speaks to Shakyamuni himself. In the revelation of the Lotus Sutra, Buddhas are generally immortal. A related doctrine of the eternality of Buddhas is frequently illustrated in the tathāgatagarbha sutras, which have various family similarities with the traditions of the Lotus Sutra. The writing also shows (in Chapter 4) that purposelessness (śūnyatā) is not the decisive vision to be achieved by the aspirant Bodhisattva: the realization of Buddha Wisdom is proved to be a bliss-bestowing fortune, which transcends seeing all as just empty or only labeled. The Lotus Sutra, in terms of fictional style, demonstrates a feeling of timelessness and the unthinkable, often utilizing large numbers, as well as measurements of time, and space. A number of the other Buddhas stated in the Lotus Sutra are argued to have lifetimes of hundreds of kalpas, whereas the number of Bodhisattvas stated in the "Earth Bodhisattva" chapter amount to the billions witnessed, if not more. The Lotus Sutra argues to be the most superior among all other sutras. Chapter 10 of the Kubo & Yuyama (159) translation states: "Medicine ruler, now I declare to you, I have preached different sutras, but among all of them, Lotus Sutra is the leading one!" Chapter 14 of the same writing argues that Lotus Sutra holds the highest position among all other sutras (Kubo & Yuyama 197). The Lotus Sutra portrays itself as a dialogue conveyed by the Buddha just before the end of His life. The belief in Mahayana argues that the sutra was composed at the time of the Buddha and kept for 500 years in a kingdom of nāgas.

The crucial teaching of the sutra offered to the reader is that "complete Buddhahood" is only achieved by experience to the truths articulated entirely in the Lotus Sutra through its numerous references and parables to a heretofore less evidently anticipated astrophysical order. Skillful ways of most liberal Buddhas is itself the chief teaching (the "Lotus Sutra" itself), together with the sutra's affirmed tenets that every other teaching is compliant to and promulgated by this utmost reality that there are not, in fact, Three Vehicles as earlier taught, but just One Vehicle leading to Buddhahood. The message also entails a parent-child bond between living beings and Shakyamuni Buddha (Kubo & Yuyama 301). Critically, not only are there numerous Buddhas in this notion, but a never-ending line of Buddhas extending through an unquantifiable era of time in a continual cycle of conflagrations and creations. In the idea set out in this sutra, furthermore, not only are Buddhas numerous, but the world encompasses spheres of gods, dragons, devas, and other legendary beings, needing numerous dimensions to control them. Buddhas are depicted as tolerant educators of all such beings.