The Buddha in his last days of teaching

Chapter 5, the Parable of the Herbs, the Lotus Sutra, is part of Tuesday’s morning meditation, and it struck me that practicing the teachings of the Buddha with the Lotus Sutra is one of participation, actually recreating, reliving moments in time, so many centuries ago. This marks the progression of Mahayana (great vehicle) teachings from earlier practices which were centered largely in monasteries and adhered more to rules and regulations, precepts, rather than more transcendent contemplations.  In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha proclaims that he appears in the world to bring peace to all creatures, to “preach the Law pure as sweet dew, the one and only Law of emancipation and nirvana, with one transcendent voice constantly taking the Great-vehicle as his subject.” Ultimately, nirvana and eventually Perfect Enlightenment are attained through devotion to the Lotus Sutra.

5 - Parable of the Herbs

AT THAT TIME the World-honored One addressed Maha-Kashyapa and the other great disciples: “Good! Good! Kashyapa; you have well proclaimed the real merits of the Tathagata, truly they are as you have said. The Tathagata in addition has infinite, boundless, innumerable merits, which if you spoke of for infinite countless kalpas you could not fully express. Know, Kashyapa! the Tathagata is the king of the law. Whatever he declares is wholly free from falsity. He expounds all the laws by wise tactfulness. The Law preached by him all leads to the stage of perfect knowledge. The Tathagata sees and knows what is the good of all the laws and also knows what all living beings in their inmost hearts are doing; he penetrates them without hindrance. Moreover in regard to all laws, having the utmost understanding of them, he reveals to all living beings the wisdom of perfect knowledge.”

  The Buddha addresses Maha-Kashyapa and the other great disciples with praise because they have well proclaimed the merits of the Tathagata. In the parable of the herbs, he addresses the other infinite, boundless, innumerable merits of the Tathagata, comparing his compassion for all living beings to “a dense cloud, spreading everywhere, covering the three-thousand-great-thousand fold world, pouring down the rain equally and at the same time. . .”

  “In the great assembly he sounds forth these words: ‘I am the Tathagata, the Worshipful, the All Wise, the Perfectly Enlightened in Conduct, the Well Departed, the Understander of the World, the Peerless Leader, the Controller, the Teacher of Gods and Living Beings, the Buddha, the World-honored One. Those who have not yet been saved I cause to be saved; those who have not yet been set free to be set free; those who have not yet been comforted to be comforted; those who have not yet obtained nirvana to obtain nirvana. I know the present world and the world to come as they really are. I am the All Knowing, the All Seeing, the Knower of the Way, the Opener of the Way, the Preacher of the Way. Come to me, all you gods, living beings, and asuras, to hear the Law. At that moment numberless thousand myriad countless classes of living beings came to the Buddha to hear the Law.”

“Know, Kashyapa!
It is like a great cloud rising above the world,
covering all things everywhere,
A beneficent cloud full of moisture;
flashes of lightning shine and glint,
the voice of thunder vibrates afar,
bringing gladness and ease to all.
The sun’s rays are veiled and the earth is cooled;
the cloud lowers and spreads
as if it might be caught and gathered;
its rain everywhere equally descends on all sides,
streaming and pouring without stint,
enriching all the land. . .”

“I am the Tathagata,
the most honored among living beings;
I appear in the world
just like a great cloud,
to pour enrichment on all
parched living beings,
to free them all from misery
and so attain the joy of peace,
joy in the world, and the joy of nirvana.

“Gods, living beings, and all!
with all your mind hearken to me.
Come all of you here
and behold the peerless honored one.
I am the World-honored One,
who cannot be equaled.
To give peace to all creatures
I appear in the world,
and for the hosts of the living,
preach the Law pure as sweet dew,
the one and only Law
of emancipation and nirvana.
With one transcendent voice
I proclaim this meaning,
constantly taking the Great-vehicle
as my subject.

“I look upon all
everywhere with equal eyes,
without distinction of persons,
or mind of love or hate.
I have no predilections
nor limitations or partiality;
ever to all I preach the Law equally;
as to one person, so to all.

“Constantly I proclaim the Law,
never occupied with aught else;
going or coming, sitting or standing,
I never weary of pouring it
abundantly upon the world,
like the rain enriching universally.
Honored and humble, high and low,
law-keepers and law-breakers,
those of perfect character
and those of imperfect,
orthodox and heterodox,
quick-witted and dull-witted,
with equal mind I rain the rain of the Law
unwearyingly.

  The Buddha’s preaching in this One-vehicle sutra is more about his experience in this and previous lives than on listing precepts, rules and regulations. Here he urges followers to gain the same awareness he has attained, describing “abodes in several places” of all creatures, according to their receptive powers in hearing the Law and causes they’ve made to practice the Law, thus finding themselves in various stages toward reaching enlightenment; comparing these stages and abodes to smaller, larger, or superiors herbs; shrubs, or trees.

    Contemplating these verses alerts us to various causes we ourselves can make, to become “firmly settled in the transcendent, rolling the unretreating wheel.” High-flown as these causes may seem, isn’t is possible they can be made in today’s world?

“Those who know the faultless Law
and are able to attain nirvana,
who cultivate the six transcendent faculties
and obtain the three clear views . . .
ever practicing meditation,
and obtain self-enlightenment—
these are the larger herbs.

“Those who seek the World-honored One,
resolving, We will become enlightened ones,
and practice zeal and meditation—
these are the superior herbs.

“And these Buddha sons and daughters
who single-minded walk the Buddha-way,
ever practicing compassion,
assured that they will become buddhas
certainly and without doubt—
these are named shrubs.

“The firmly settled in the transcendent,
who role the unretreating wheel
and save infinite hundred
thousands, countless of the living beings,
such bodhisattvas as these are named trees.”

“I rain down the rain of the Law,
filling the whole world,
the one essential Law
to be practiced according to ability,
just as those thickets, forests,
herbs, and trees,
according to their size,
luxuriantly develop.

“As the bodhisattvas who are firm in wisdom,
penetrate the triple world,
and seek the highest vehicle,
these are named shrubs
which gain increasing growth.

  The Buddha describes the “abodes in several places” of all creatures who “according to their receptive powers” in hearing the Law and causes they’ve made to practice the Law, find themselves in various stages toward reaching enlightenment; comparing these abodes to smaller, larger, or superiors herbs; shrubs, or trees.

“Again, those who practice meditation
and gain transcendent powers,
who hearing the doctrine of the Void,
greatly rejoice in their minds,
and emitting innumerable rays
save all living beings,
these are named trees
which gain increasing growth.

“Like this, Kashyapa,
is the law preached by the Buddha.
It is just like a great cloud
which with the same kind of rain
enriches all living beings and blossoms,
so that each bears fruit.

“Know, Kashyapa!
By numerous reasonings
and various parables
I reveal the Buddha-way;
This is my tactful method,
all enlightened ones do the same.

“What I now have said to you all,
is the veriest truth.
All persons of learning come to attain nirvana.
The way in which you walk
is the Bodhisattva way.
By gradually practicing and learning,
all of you will become buddhas.”

Stories from The Threefold Lotus Sutra

4 – Faith Discernment

awakening to the reality of our true nature and that the Buddha, the great life-force of the universe, dwells within all living beings, is affirmed in the parable which tells the story of the wandering son returning home to his father, not realizing he has indeed returned to the warmth of a “blazing fireplace,” deserted long ago. This chapter resonates personally, as the son in the story is fifty years old—my age at the time of connecting with the teachings found in The Threefold Lotus Sutra.

AT THAT TIME the wisdom-destined Subhuti, Maha-Katyayana, Maha-Kashyapa, and Maha-Maudgalyayana, hearing from the Buddha the unprecedented Law and the prediction by the World-honored One of Shariputra’s Perfect Enlightenment, were struck with wonder and ecstatic with joy. Thereupon they rose from their seats and arranging their garments, humbly baring their right shoulders, placing their right knees on the ground, with one mind folding their hands, bending their bodies in reverence, and gazing upon his honored face, addressed the Buddha . . .

  “Now we, in the presence of the Buddha, hearing that shravakas are predicted to attain Perfect Enlightenment, are extremely glad in our minds and have obtained that which we have never experienced before. Unexpectedly we now of a sudden hear this rare Law. Profoundly do we congratulate ourselves on having acquired so great and good a gain, an inestimable jewel without the seeking. World-honored One! Now let us have the pleasure of speaking in a parable to make plain this meaning. . .”

  A son leaves home at an early age and wanders in the world many years doing menial tasks, never believing that he is capable of doing anything better. The father grieves the loss of his son and hopes some day he will see him again. The father is wealthy, having many possessions and riches. One day, the son wanders into the city of his father and the father recognizes him as the son he has lost, but doesn’t reveal himself to him. Instead he gets him to work at menial tasks.

  Gradually the father improves the circumstances of his son’s life, “knowing that the son’s ideas have gradually been enlarged and his will well developed, and that he despises his previous state of mind.” Finally, as the father approaches his death, he reveals himself and leaves the son all his wealth. The son, upon hearing this, is joyous over such unexpected news, realizing, “Without any mind for or effort on my part these treasures now come of themselves to me.”

  The significance of this parable is clear. As expressed by the four disciples:

  “From of old we are really sons and daughters of the Buddha, but only have taken pleasure in minor matters; if we had had a mind to take pleasure in the great, the Buddha would have preached the Great-vehicle Law to us. Now in this sutra he preaches only the One-vehicle; and though formerly in the presence of bodhisattvas he spoke disparagingly of shravakas who were pleased with minor matters, yet the Buddha has in reality been instructing them in the Great-vehicle. Therefore we say that though we had no mind to hope or expect it, yet now the great treasure of the King of the Law has of itself come to us, and such things that Buddha-sons should obtain we have all obtained.”

  The parable is repeated in verse, its lesson made clear. Subhuti, Maha-Katyayana, Maha-Kashyapa, and Maha-Maudgalyayana express their joy in hearing the law and pay homage to the Buddha for awakening them to happiness gained through hearing “the most high Way.”

“. . . Though we for the sake
of all Buddha-sons and daughters,
have preached the Bodhisattva-way,
yet we in regard to this Law,
had never any wish or pleasure.
Our leader saw and let us alone,
because he looked into our minds;
so at first he did not stir up our zeal
by telling of the true gain,
just as the rich elder,
knowing his son’s inferior disposition,
by his tactfulness
subdues his mind,

and afterward gives him
all his wealth.

“So is it with the Buddha
in his display of rarities,
knowing those who delight in trifles,
and by his tactfulness
subduing their minds,
he instructs them in the greater wisdom.

“Today we have obtained
that which we have never had before;
what we have not previously looked for
now we have unexpectedly obtained,
just as that poor son
obtained inestimable treasures.

“World-honored One! Now we
have got the Way and got the fruit,
and in the faultless Law
attained to clear vision, the Buddha-wisdom.
We for long
having kept the Buddha’s pure commands,
today for the first time
obtain their fruit and reward.

“In the Law of the Law-king,
having long practiced holy deeds,
now we have attained to the faultless,
peerless great fruit;
now we are
really hearers of the sound,
who cause all beings to hear
the sound of the Buddha-way.
Now we are
really arhats,
who in all the worlds
of gods, living beings, Maras and Brahmans,
universally by them
are worthy of worship.

“The World-honored One, in his great grace
by things which are rare
has compassion for and instructs
and benefits us;
through countless kalpas,
who could repay him?
Service by hands and feet,
homage with the head,
all kinds of offerings
are all unable to repay him.

“If one bore him on one’s head,
or carried him on one’s shoulders
through kalpas numerous as the sands of the Ganges,
or revered him with one’s whole mind,
or with the best of food,
or garments of countless value
and all kinds of bed things,
or every sort of medicament;
or with ox-head sandalwood
and all kinds of jewels
erected stupas and monasteries;
or carpeted the ground with precious garments;
with such things as these
to pay homage
through kalpas numerous as the sands of the Ganges,
yet one would be unable to repay.

“Buddhas rarely appear with their
infinite and boundless,
inconceivably
great transcendent powers;
they are faultless and effortless,
the kings of the Law,
who are able, for interior minds,
patiently to bide their time in this matter,
and for common folk attached to externals
to preach as is befitting.
Buddhas in the Law
attain to supreme power.
Knowing all living beings,
with their various desires and pleasures,
and their powers,
according to their capacities,
by innumerable parables,
they preach the Law to them.

According as all living beings
in past lives have planted good roots,
the buddhas, knowing the mature
and the immature,
and taking account of each,
discriminating and understanding,
in the One-vehicle, as may be befitting,
they preach the three.”

  The great lesson offered in this parable is told in glowing and inspiring words by Nikkyo Niwano in his Guide to The Threefold Lotus Sutra – the true relationship between humanity and the Buddha’s teachings, and the importance of self-motivation. In preaching the Lotus Sutra before entering nirvana, the Buddha set forth the truth that the great life-force of the universe (“Original Buddha”) and humanity are not strangers, nor is their relation that of controller and controlled. Anyone may succeed to all riches offered by the teachings.

  All people must awaken to the worth of their true nature. . . all may of their own accord dispel illusions and realize the great salvation.