The Appearing Buddha

and

Stories from The Threefold Lotus Sutra (1)

  Those who walk the Buddha-way (“Buddhists”) may forget at times the original source for their practice derives from the teachings of Shayamuni Buddha, enlightened one of the Shakya clan, born in India about 660 B.C., who became “extinct” around 480 B.C. at the age of 80, his teachings transmitted in “sutras,” most notably the “One Vehicle” – The Threefold Lotus Sutra. Awakening to his teachings in this sutra, reading, reciting, copying, memorizing, strengthens and affirms the presence of the Buddha, not as a detached “god” floating around in the cosmos, but as an existing presence within each one of us, in each moment of our lives—the vibrant, all-pervading universal life-force that causes everything to live, immanent in all phenomena of the material world.

  Those who uncompromisingly celebrate life will know.

  Those who do not define their spiritual journey as “walking the Buddha-way” or perhaps not even aware of the Buddha’s teachings, are not excluded from the presence of this vibrant, all-pervading universal life-force which causes everything to live. The Buddha declares in the Lotus Sutra, “I look upon everyone, everywhere with equal eyes, to those who are not in this assembly, do you proclaim my words, to those whose hearts are longing, I appear to preach the Law, the one and only Law of emancipation and nirvana.”

  Those who attain personal satisfaction through creating that which brings wellness, joy and happiness to others, who freely celebrate life with compassionate hearts, with unquestioning reverence for life, “releasing the personal ego,” who recognize that all the living equally possess the buddha-nature—the potential for enlightenment, “these too attain the Buddha-way.”

  Shakyamuni Buddha, in his final commission reveals that it is only because he himself has practiced this “rare Law of Perfect Enlightenment for incalculable hundreds of thousands of myriads of countless kalpas,” that he now may entrust it to the compassionate ones to “wholeheartedly promulgate this Law and make it increase and prosper far and wide . . . In other domains, wherever you may go, I shall be Buddha, though under different names.”

Stories from The Threefold Lotus Sutra (1)

Monday’s Celebration:

  Reading the Threefold’s opening for the first time sends my head spinning with its presentation of great assemblies composed of human and non-human beings, the deeds of the Great Enlightened One (the Buddha) “whose moral breeze and virtuous fragrance deeply per­meate all.”

  This is dramatized history, proclaiming the names of those great men and women who followed the Buddha. Also “present” are gods and dragons, “musicians of Indra, garudas—birds with golden wings,” and all sorts of entities, foretelling the Buddha’s desire to set no limits on those who might “receive” his teachings in their hearts and minds.

  “Of these bodhisattvas there is none who is not a great saint of the Law-body.  They have attained commands, meditation, wisdom, emancipation, and the knowl­edge of emancipation. With tranquil minds, and constantly in contem­­plation, they are peaceful, indifferent, nonactive, and free from desires. They are immune from any kind of delusion and distraction. Their minds are calm and clear, profound and infinite. They remain in this state for hundreds of thousand of countless kalpas, and all the innumerable teachings have been revealed to them. Having obtained the great wisdom, they penetrate all things, completely understand the reality of their nature and form, and clearly discriminate existing and nonexisting, long and short.”

  Is such attainment possible? A far-reach indeed! But this moment of meditation is worthy of celebration, accompanied by great personages who have attained meditation, wisdom, emancipation, knowledge of emancipation, tranquil minds, constantly in contemplation, peaceful, indifferent, free from desires, immune from any kind of delusion and distraction, mind clam and clear,  completely understanding the reality and nature and form of all things, able clearly to discriminate existing and nonexisting.”

  Beings numbering in the thousands attending these great assemblies? Believing or not believing such gatherings ever took place or how many attended, is of little consequence. Do we not suspend belief in our world today, thrilling to grand displays in fantasy worlds, in fiction and films, and stories of other-worldly epics, larger-than-life histories, rendering a sense of how wonderful it is to be alive. So it is with a sense of wonder and awe we approach epic stories in The Threefold Lotus Sutra.

  “Thus have I heard!” We’re in for a teaching told with grand eloquence, open to comprehension of the Buddha’s intent, and the intent of all enlightened ones who appear in the world encouraging us to enter the Buddha-way.

  “Entering the Buddha-way” has no parallel in other religions. It doesn’t require worshiping a god-like image outside ourselves—not even worshiping the Buddha himself, nor embracing some exotic religious doctrine. The Buddha’s mission in his lifetime was to cause all living beings to enter a path leading to self-awareness—to enlightenment in this life-time, a teaching of compassion and liberation, attaining a state of mind—“mindfulness”—free of delusions.