Trí Quảng Toàn Tập - Quyển II - Lược Giải Kinh Pháp HoaHT THÍCH TRÍ QUẢNG
The Lotus Sutra has received praise in the highest terms from all the famous Buddhist priests. As for me, from the time I first raised my mind to the practice of the Buddha’s teachings I have always felt a special relationship to this Sutra. When I first accompanied some monks to pagoda Hoằng Khai in Tân An, I was offered a Chinese version of the Lotus Sutra by Monk Đạt Vương. Although I had not practiced the Sutra before, I was overwhelmed with joy by this gift. Since then, my attachment to this Sutra has been growing stronger and stronger. Only when I told my father about this, did I learn that he often recited the Sutra, especially the Chapter Bodhisattva The Observer of the Worlds’ Cries during my mother’s pregnancy with me. This gave me a strong feeling that I have listened to the Sutra ever since I was in my mother’s womb.
The Lotus seed, which my father had planted when I was still in a deep, unconscious foetal sleep grew larger with the passing of time. At the age of 12, the age when other children still nestled securely in a mother’s tender love, it blossomed into a powerful call for me to follow the path of a priest. Although it appeared as if things just happened, I had a strong belief that behind these incidents, a miracle was working to bring me closer and closer to the Sutra as I progressed on my path of Buddhism.
When I was 17, I entered the Buddhist Institute of Nam Việt which belong to The Pagoda Ấn Quang, I found out that the late Most Venerable Trí Hữu the founder of this temple, also followed the teachings of The Lotus Sutra. In addition, the man who sculpted this temple’s statue of the Buddha Sakyamuni for this temple was also a devotee of the Sutra. In order to keep his mind and body clean and pure during the whole time he was working on the statue, he bowed down before the Buddhist altar in tribute for every single word of the Sutra. All together he bowed made 60.000 times.
At 25, I was sent to Rissho University in Japan to study the Sutra. While I was there I had a good chance to get acquainted with the ideas of Saint Nichiren, which are a special feature of Japanese Buddhism.
The thirst for knowledge urged me to visit a number of organizations devoted to observing the teachings of Lotus Sutra. I realized that in order to have a right understanding of the Sutra, we should practice the Buddha’s teachings in the right way. Some people believe that they have penetrated all the meanings of the Sutra but actually they have not comprehended anything. I experienced this false belief 20 years before when I studied all the works written on the Sutra and obtained a Ph. D degree in the doctrine of the Lotus. Only later when I had really penetrated into the spiritual world of the Lotus by practising the Buddha’s teachings did I realized that my early knowledge gained while at the University was still far from having attained the true meanings of the Buddha’s words. This explains why some people with few academic achievements have been able to make valuable contributions to Buddhism while some other with high university degrees have contributed nothing to our religion. As for me, after my return to the country, thanks to the precious teachings of well-known Japanese monks, I have carefully recited the Sutra, observed its teachings and paid homage to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the Lotus to build up spiritual relations with them in expectation of receiving their blessings on my spiritual life. With this heart-felt attachment to the Sutra, I entered the Lotus world and found myself closer to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Thanks to it I have lead a peaceful and serene life for 15 years in a chaotic society full of upheavals. The calm and clear perspective of the phenomena world that the Lotus Sutra provided have enabled me to make some small contributions to Buddhism. To me, the Sutra is not just some printed matter but is essential nutrients for my body and soul. With the view of the Lotus Sutra as my life, I have gained an insight into the Buddha’s teachings and tried to apply them in my daily life. I would be very happy to share my fruitful experiences with those who have formed close ties with the Sutra to use it as a torch to progress on the way to enlightenment.
Also from the point of view of reading between the lines of the Sutra, while writing this book I compared the following translations: Kumarajiva’s version, a translation written by Dharmaraksa, a Sanskrit version from Nepal, the version found in Kotan and that found in Kashmir. In these four later versions, Dharanis was chapter 22 and The Final Commission was chapter 28 while in Kumarajiva’s version The Final Commission was chapter 22 and Dharanis was chapter 26.
In my opinion, the order of the Sutra’s chapters should be like this: Chapter 21 The Supernatural Power of The Tathagata, chapter 22 Dharanis, chapter 23 Bodhisattva Medicine King, chapter 24 Boddhisattva Wonder Sound, chapter 25 The Observer of the Worlds’ Cries, chapter 26 Story of King Resplendent, chapter 27 Encouragement of the Bodhisattva Universal Virtues, chapter 28 The Final Commission. The arrangement of the chapters in this order would make Sutra’s meaning flow more reasonably and logically. The Final Commission as the ending of the Sutra would be logical because after the Buddha had preached the Lotus Sutra, he then left the message for Bodhisattvas to continue to propagate the Sutra. It would be illogical if after bequeathing his will for his disciples to spread the Lotus’ teachings, which were obviously his last words before the end of the Lotus Assembly, he would continue to preach the six following chapters: The Bodhisattva Medicine King, Bodhisattva Wonder Sound, The Observer of the Worlds’ Cries, the Story of the King Resplendent, Encouragement of the Bodhisattva Universal Virtues. It would be hard to justify this kind of order.
From chapter 21 The Supernatural Power of the Thatagata, the Buddha displayed his supernatural power. He left his testament for the Bodhisattvas Springing Up Out Of The Earth to preserve the Sutra. The phenomenas were hard for people to believe and comprehend and this triggered the Boddhisattva Medicine King on behalf of the assembly to question the Buddha why his spiritual powers and treasures were displayed only when preaching the Lotus. In reply to this question, the Buddha confirmed that if only four sentences of the Sutra were correctly practised and observed, the Lotus could bestow more blessings on us than all the merits and virtues a person could obtain by worshipping and making offerings to eight hundred thousand Buddhas. On hearing this, Bodhisattva Medicine pledged to preserve the Sutra. In addition, he Bodhisattva Brave-In Giving, Vaisravana Heavenly King the Protector of the World, The World Holding King and the ten Raksasis also vowed to use their dharanis to support those who followed the path of the Lotus. That is the meaning of chapter 21 The Supernatural Of The Thatagata which was followed by chapter 22 Dharanis.
Since many monks in the assembly seemed suspicious of the Bodhisattva Medicine King, the Bodhisattva Brave-In-Giving and other Bodhisattvas’ power to use dharanis to protect the Lotus devotees, Bodhisattva King Flower begged the Buddha for an explanation. The Buddha told them about the previous lives of Bodhisattva Medicine King, Bodhisattva Wonder Sound, the Observer of the Worlds’ Cries, Bodhisattva King Resplendent and Bodhisattva Universal Virtues and how these Bodhisattvas had observed the teachings of Buddhism. This resulted in the flow from chapter 22, chapter 23 Bodhisattva Medicine King, chapter 24 Bodhisattva Wonder Sound, chapter 25 Bodhisattva The Observer of the Worlds’ Cries, chapter 26 Story of Bodhisattva King Resplendent to chapter 27 Bodhisattva Universal Virtues. After presenting the role models of the Great Bodhisattvas for them to follow, the Buddha left his testament for the Great Bodhisattvas to preserve and propagate the Sutra and for his various manifestations as well as the Stupa of Treasure to come back to their original land. This is the reason for placing chapter 28 The Final Commission at the end of the Sutra.
In brief, the arrangement of the Sutra’s chapters as mentioned above is compatible with the flow of the Sutra’s meanings and it is accepted by most of well-known monks and teachers.
This is our first work of interpreting the Lotus Sutra. Shortcomings and mistakes are, therefore, inevitable. We would be very grateful for criticism from wiser people so that our next work would be improved.
May all the merits possibly received from spreading the Buddha’s words be bestowed on all living creatures to help us penetrate into the Lotus World of the Buddhas.
Buddhist Calendar 2535 – 1991
Most Venerable THÍCH TRÍ QUẢNG
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