Followers of the Buddha

in The Threefold Lotus Sutra

Merits, Vows and Awakenings

10 Merits – The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings:

  Tenthly . . .  They will make vast oaths and great vows of numberless, asankhyeya naturally and from the beginning in the stage of ordinary living beings, and raise a deep desire to relieve all living beings. They will realize the great compassion, thoroughly abolish all sufferings, gather many good roots, and bring benefit to all. They will explain the favor of the law, and greatly enliven the withered; give all living beings the medicine of the Law, and set all at ease; gradually elevate their view to live in the stage of the Law-cloud, the tenth highest stage of the bodhisattva way.  They will spread favor extensively, grant mercy to all suffering living beings, and lead them into the Buddha-way.  Thereupon these good sons and daughters will accomplish Perfect Enlighten­­­­­­­ment before long.

A Parable (of the burning house) – The Lotus Sutra, ch. 3

  "Know ye! All these three vehicles are praised by sages; in them you will be free and independent, without wanting to rely on anything else.  Riding in these three vehicles, by means of perfect faculties, powers, perceptions of the seven degrees of intelligence, ways, concentrations, emancipations, and contempla­tions, you will as a matter of course be happy and gain infinite peace and joy."

  The “three vehicles” are the 7^th world of those who hear the teachings and gain knowledge from them – the shravakas, persons of learning / the 8^th world of self-enlightenment for one’s self alone – the pratyekabuddhas / and the 9^th world of the compassionate ones, the bodhisattvas who set aside their own enlightenment for the enlightenment of others. These are the vehicles through which one must travel to reach Perfect Enlightenment, the 10^th world, the world of the buddhas, the enlightened ones.

In life, it is possible to exist simultaneously in all three of these “upper” worlds. One devoted to these “three vehicles” – listening/learning, self-attained enlightenment, and universal benevolence and compassion – has gone beyond the “lower worlds” of anger, covetousness, ignorance, dispute, ordinary-static states of being, temporary states of joy (only to fall back into lower states of existence in unending cycles), and is less likely to repeat this cycle  as one “breaks through to the other side” aligned with the “awakening ones.”

Parable of the Herbs – various practices: seeking with single-mindedness.

Those who seek the World-honored One,
resolving, We will become enlightened ones,
and practice zeal and meditation—

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—

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.

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,

“What I have now said to you all is the veriest truth.
All persons who hear the law, all shravakas,
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.”

Purña – his realizations and awakening – The Five Hundred Disciples Receive the Prediction of Their Destiny – The Lotus Sutra, ch. 8

  “Wonderful is the World-honored One. Rare are his doings according to the many kinds of earthly dispositions. By tactful wisdom, he preaches the Law to and lifts all beings out of every condition to let them get rid of selfish attachment. No words of ours can declare the Buddha’s merits. Only the Buddha, the World-honored One is able to know the natural inclinations of our inmost hearts.”

  Thereupon the Buddha addressed the bhikshus: “Do you see this Purña, son of Maitrayani? I have always styled him the very first among all the preachers of the Law and constantly praised his varied merits. . . . and in regard to the Law of the Void preached by the enlightened ones, he is clear-minded and penetrating.

Now this Purña
under thousands of countless former buddhas
has diligently maintained his course,
and proclaimed and protected the Buddha-law.
He has sought supreme wisdom and under the buddhas
has shown himself the superior disciple in learning and wisdom.
In preaching he has been fearless, able to cause all beings to rejoice;
he has ever been tireless in aiding Buddha-tasks.

Having attained the four unhindered powers of wisdom,
and known the faculties of others, keen or dull,
he has always preached the pure Law.  .  .  .
He has taught thousands of countless beings,
leading them to rest in the Great-vehicle Law,
and himself purified his buddha-land.  .  .  .
And guarding the treasury of the Law,
he shall afterward become a buddha whose title will be Law Radiance.
His domain, named Excellent Purity,
will be formed of the precious seven,
and his kalpa be called Jewel Radiance.  .  .  .

(Parable of the Jewel in the Robe in this chapter):

For long has the World-honored One
always pitied and taught us
to cultivate the highest aspiration;
but because of our ignorance,
we neither perceived nor knew it;
gaining but a little of nirvana,
contented we sought no more.

Now the Buddha has awakened us,
saying this is not real nirvana;
only on attaining the highest Buddha-wisdom
is there real nirvana.
Now, having heard from the Buddha
the prediction and its glory,
and the command we receive in turn,
body and soul are full of joy.”