The ray between his brows illuminates the eastern quarter

of the eighteen thousand lands, coloring them all with gold

the complete “buddhahood in three dimensions” by thich nhat hahn – 9 parts, now at this blog, “Ancestral Well.” Nhat Hahn speaks eloquently of the Lotus Sutra delivered by the Buddha as a great occurrence not to be missed. In Chapter 1, Introductory, the Buddha begins with a great assembly after preaching the “Sutra of Innumerable Meanings.” This not only sets the stage for the delivery of the sutra in the historical dimension, but also in the ultimate dimension, in which time and space are transcended, a stage of perfect enlightenment which the Buddha achieved under the Bodhi tree.

  The vast numbers of shravakas and bodhisattvas, the presence of gods and mythical beings, give us our first taste of the ultimate dimension and show us that the opportunity to hear the Lotus Sutra delivered by the Buddha is something very special. While preaching in the ultimate dimension, never for a moment has the Buddha ceased to deliver the Lotus Sutra. This opens two doors: the historical dimension, and dimension of ultimate reality which goes beyond time and space. Everything—all phenomena, participate in these two dimensions, historical and ultimate.

[Note: all quotations from the sutra are from daily morning meditation, many of which have been memorized over the years—a method followed by others devoted to the Lotus Sutra to relive and celebrate the life and teachings of the Buddha on a daily basis.]

Most Great Vehicle (Mahayana) sutras begin with THUS HAVE I HEARD, considered to be the words of the Buddha’s cousin, Ananda, who is said to have memorized all the Buddha’s teachings.

THUS HAVE I HEARD. Once the Buddha was staying at the City of Royal Palaces on Mount Gridhrakutha with a great assemblage of great bhikshus, in all twelve thousand; all of them arhats, faultless, free from earthly cares, self-developed, emancipated from all bonds of existence, and free in mind. Their names were Ajñata Kaundinya, Maha-Kashyapa, Uruvilva-Kashyapa, Gaya-Kash­­­­­­­yapa, Nadi-Kashyapa, Shariputra, Maha-Maudgalyayana, Maha-Karya­yana, Aniruddha, Kapphina, Gavampati, Revata, Pilindavasta, Vakkula, Maha-Kashthila, Nanda, Sundara-Nanda, Purña, son of Maitrayani, Subhuti, Ananda, and Rahula—all such great arhats are well known to everybody. In addition there were two thousand under training and no longer under training; the bhik­shuni, Mahaprajapati, with six thousand followers; the bhikshuni, Yashodhara, the mother of Rahula . . . there were eighty thousand Bodhi­sattva-mahasattvas, all free from backsliding in regards to Perfect Enlightenment. . . .

The ray between his brows illuminates the eastern quarter
of the eighteen thousand lands, coloring them all with gold. . . .

I see them all from here,
I see also the buddhas,
the holy masters, fearless in teaching the Law, the lions,
expounding the sutra,
mystic and supreme;
their voices clear and pure
send forth softly, sounding tones,
teaching the bodhisattvas
in numberless countless myriads;
their sacred voices, deep and mystic,
cause living beings to rejoice in hearing;
each in their own world,
proclaiming the good Law
by various reasonings
and innumerable illustrations,
reveal the Buddha-law
and open the understanding of all creatures. . . .
Again I see bodhisattvas
profound in wisdom, firm in will,
able to question the enlightened ones
and receive and retain all they hear;
and I see buddha-sons and daughters
perfect in meditation and wisdom
with innumerable illustrations
proclaiming the Law for the multitude,
cheerfully and gladly preaching the Law
to transform the bodhisattvas . . .