Stories from the Lotus Sutra
7 - Parable of the Magic City
“advancing
together to the place of jewels” – the natural course of human endeavor
. . . The Buddha teaches us the apparent forms before our eyes are just
appearances that pass. Do not be deceived, and you may always be at peace. We
are told to go beyond appearances if we would escape human suffering and reach
a state of peacefulness of mind. . .
. . . though as practioners of the Buddha-way we may
deliver ourselves from suffering, great numbers of people in the world remain
trapped in suffering. To pass these people by and reach a realm of ease for
ourselves alone is again a kind of escape, an arrogant selfishness. This is, in
no sense, enlightenment. To strive in the
midst of suffering humanity—to continue the journey toward enlightenment—is to
live a truly human life. . . it is the bodhisattva’s toil for the happiness and
well-being of people.
7 – Parable of the Magic City
“advancing
together to the place of jewels” – In the eye of Buddha-wisdom, the
ultimate journey for all living beings is to follow the Buddha-way, up-reaching
mindfulness, complete awareness—celebrating the sanctity of life, inspiring
compassion. This chapter, telling the story of the past life of Universal
Surpassing Wisdom Tathagata who “sat for a long time waiting to hear the
Buddha-laws” leaving home with his sixteen royal sons, women and grandfather,
relates not only the epic journey of Universal Surpassing Wisdom, but the
natural course of human endeavor in following the path, “advancing together to
the place of jewels.”
THE BUDDHA addressed the
bhikshus, “Of yore in the past, infinite, boundless, and inconceivable
asankhyeya kalpas ago, there was then a buddha named Universal Surpassing
Wisdom Tathagata, Worshipful, All Wise, Perfectly Enlightened in Conduct, Well
Departed, Understander of the World, Peerless Leader, Controller, Teacher of
Gods and Living Beings, Buddha, World-honored One, whose domain was named Well
Completed, and whose kalpa was named Great Form. . .”
Universal Surpassing Wisdom became extinct a very
long time ago, exceeding numbers innumerable, “but by the power of his
Tathagata wisdom, I observe that length of time as if it were only today.” The
Buddha relates how this Buddha Universal Surpassing Wisdom whose life is five
hundred and forty myriad countless nayutas of kalpas, sat for ten minor kalpas
waiting to hear the Buddha-laws. The gods of the thirty-three heavens pay honor
to Universal Surpassing Wisdom who finally attains the Buddha-laws.
“Know
bhikshus!
The Buddha-wisdom is pure and minúte,
faultless and unhindered,
penetrating through infinite kalpas.”
The Buddha-wisdom is pure and minúte,
faultless and unhindered,
penetrating through infinite kalpas.”
Buddha Universal Surpassing Wisdom leaves home
followed by the sixteen sons, women and grandfather. People praise the buddha,
and the sixteen sons entreat him to roll the law wheel for all the world. “When
the Buddha Universal Surpassing Wisdom attained Perfect Enlightenment, the five
hundred myriad countless buddha-worlds in all directions were each shaken in
different ways; even the dark places between those realms where the august
light of the sun and moon could not shine, all became brilliant. All the living
beings in their midst could see each other and unitedly exclaimed: ‘From where
have all these living beings suddenly come?’ Moreover, the palaces of the gods
in all those regions, even Brahma palaces, shook in six different ways and a
great light universally shone, filling all the worlds, surpassing the light of
heaven.”
The great Brahma kings in the southeastern quarter of
five hundred myriad countless domains, each seeing his own palace radiant with
light as never before, were ecstatic with joy and amazed. “Then eastward, all
the palaces of the Brahma heavens in the five hundred myriad countless domains
were brilliantly illuminated with double their moral brightness. And each of
those Brahma heavenly kings reflected thus: ‘For what reason does this sign
appear, that our palaces are now illuminated as never before?’ Then those
brahma heavenly kings all visited each other to discuss this affair. Meanwhile,
amongst those assembled there was a great Brahma heavenly king named Savior of
All who addressed the host of Brahmas in verse:
‘In all our palaces
never has there been such shining;
what can be its cause?
Let us together investigate it.
Is it that a great virtuous god is born,
is it that a buddha appears in the world,
that this great shining
everywhere illuminates the universe?’
never has there been such shining;
what can be its cause?
Let us together investigate it.
Is it that a great virtuous god is born,
is it that a buddha appears in the world,
that this great shining
everywhere illuminates the universe?’
Thereupon the Brahma heavenly kings in five hundred
myriad countless domains, with all their palace train, each taking a sack
filled with celestial flowers, go together to visit the western quarter to
investigate this sign.
There they saw the Tathagata
Universal Surpassing Wisdom on the wisdom terrace under the Bodhi tree, seated
on the lion throne, surrounded and revered by gods, dragons, worthy spirits who
fight evil—yakshas (followers of Vaishravana). Musicians of Indra (gandharvas),
fabulous birds with golden wings (garudas), fabulous beings (kimnaras); titans
(asuras), boa spirits (mahoragas), human and nonhuman beings, and others. And
they saw his sixteen royal sons entreating the buddha to roll along the
Law-wheel. Then all the Brahma heavenly kings bowed to the ground before the
buddha, made procession around him hundreds and thousands of times, and then
strewed the celestial flowers upon him. The flowers they strewed rose like Mount Sumer
The story continues as the great Brahma kings in the
southeastern quarter of five hundred myriad countless domains, each seeing his
own palace radiant with light as never before, ecstatic with joy and amazed.
Brahma heavenly kings in all directions seek out Universal Surpassing Wisdom,
offer their palaces, and entreat him to roll the Law-wheel. Finally, all the
Brahma heavenly kings, giving the Buddha Universal Surpassing Wisdom their
palaces and treasures, hearing him roll the Law-wheel to the sixteen royal
sons, and realizing the merit they have received, before the buddha, declare:
“May this deed of merit
extend to all creatures
that we with all the living
may together accomplish the Buddha-way.”
extend to all creatures
that we with all the living
may together accomplish the Buddha-way.”
After the entreaty of the Brahma heavenly kings in
the ten regions, the Tathagata Universal Surpassing Wisdom three times rolls
the Law-wheel showing the meaning of the Four Noble Truths, the Law of the
Twelve Causes, exhorting all to practice them, and proving that the Buddha
Universal Surpassing Wisdom has accomplished them. The great host have their
minds freed from faults, no longer subject to temporary laws.
The sixteen royal sons leave home and entreat
Surpassing Wisdom to preach the Law. Others follow their example.
At last Surpassing Wisdom preaches “the
Great-vehicle Sutra named the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law.” All present receive
it in faith.
The sixteen sons preach the Great-vehicle Sutra as
Universal Surpassing Wisdom enters meditation for a long period of time. Then
he rises from his meditation entreating all to worship the sixteen bodhisattvas
so that they may attain the Tathagata-wisdom of Perfect Enlightenment through
the teaching of these bodhisattvas.
The Buddha explains how these sixteen bodhisattvas
ever take delight in preaching this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful
Law, how they have all attained Perfect Enlightenment and are preaching the Law
in all countries in every direction, naming the sixteen bodhisattvas and the
regions in which they became enlightened ones:
Two in the eastern quarter, Akshobhya in the Kingdom of Joy
and Sumeru Peak
and the sixteenth is I myself, Shakyamuni
Buddha, who has accomplished Perfect Enlightenment in the saha-domain.”
The Buddha says that all the bhikshus now present
are the same living beings previously converted, as he constantly instructs
them in Perfect Enlightenment, that he will in the future “still be Buddha
though under different names,” and that only by the Buddha-vehicle will his
disciples attain real nirvana, or Perfect Enlightenment.
All bhikshus now present, the Buddha says, are the
same living beings previously converted, as he constantly instructs them in
Perfect Enlightenment, and then tells of future disciples:
“After my extinction there will also be disciples of
mine who, not hearing this sutra, nor knowing nor apprehending the course which
bodhisattvas pursue, will by their own merits conceive the idea of extinction
and enter what they think is nirvana. In other domains wherever they may go I
shall be Buddha though under different names. These people, though they
conceive the idea of extinction and enter what they call nirvana, yet in those
lands will seek after the Buddha-wisdom and succeed in hearing this sutra. Only
by the Buddha-vehicle will they attain extinction. There is no other vehicle
except the tactful teachings of the Tathagata. Bhikshus! If the Tathagata
himself knows that the time of nirvana has arrived and the assembly is pure,
firm in faith and discernment, penetrated with the Law of the Void, profound in
meditation, then he will gather together all bodhisattvas and shravakas to
preach this sutra to them. In the world there is no second vehicle to attain
extinction; there is only the One Buddha-vehicle for attaining extinction.
Know, bhikshus! The tact of the Tathagata reaches deeply into the natures of
all living beings and knows that they are bent on the pleasures of trifling
things, deeply attached to the five desires. For the sake of these he preaches
nirvana. If they hear it, they will receive it in faith.”
and now the
journey continues—told in parable, the Buddha extolling the true
significance of life—constant progress as the natural course for living beings,
the right and true way for humankind to live. Giving up this natural way to
live, to be defeated by pains of human life, to stop midway or turn back, is to
cast away the worth one has as a human being. As Niwano eloquently explains in
his Guide to the Threefold Lotus Sutra (adding
a few words):
The Buddha teaches us the apparent forms before our
eyes are just appearances that pass. Do not be deceived, and you may always be
at peace. We are told to go beyond appearances if we would escape human
suffering and reach a state of peacefulness of mind. But this is only a stage
on the way to enlightenment, for though as practioners of the Buddha-way we may
deliver ourselves from suffering, great numbers of people in the world remain
trapped in suffering. To pass these people by and reach a realm of ease for
ourselves alone is again a kind of escape, an arrogant selfishness. This is, in
no sense, enlightenment. To strive in the midst of suffering humanity—to
continue the journey toward enlightenment—is to live a truly human life. . . it
is the bodhisattva’s toil for the happiness and well-being of people.
“Let all of you push forward!
This was only an illusory city.
Seeing you all worn out
and wanting to turn back midway,
I therefore by a device
temporarily made this city.
Do you now diligently advance
together to the Place of Jewels.”
This was only an illusory city.
Seeing you all worn out
and wanting to turn back midway,
I therefore by a device
temporarily made this city.
Do you now diligently advance
together to the Place of Jewels.”
I, too, in like manner
am the leader of all beings.
Seeing the seekers of the Way
midway becoming wearied
and unable to cross the perilous ways
of mortality and earthly cares,
so I by my tactful powers
for their relief preached nirvana, saying:
"Your sufferings are ended;
you have finished your work.
"When I knew you had reached nirvana
and all become free from illusions—arhats,
those who have achieved personal enlightenment,
then I gathered you all together
and preached to you the real law.
and all become free from illusions—arhats,
those who have achieved personal enlightenment,
then I gathered you all together
and preached to you the real law.
“Buddhas by their tactful powers
separately preach the three vehicles;
but there is only the One Buddha-vehicle;
it is for the resting-place
that two are preached.
Now I preach to you the truth;
what you have reached
is not the real extinction.
For the sake of obtaining
the Buddha’s perfect knowledge,
exert yourselves with the utmost zeal!
separately preach the three vehicles;
but there is only the One Buddha-vehicle;
it is for the resting-place
that two are preached.
Now I preach to you the truth;
what you have reached
is not the real extinction.
For the sake of obtaining
the Buddha’s perfect knowledge,
exert yourselves with the utmost zeal!
“When you have proved the perfect knowledge,
the ten powers, and so on of the Buddha-laws,
and perfected the thirty-two signs,
then that is the real extinction.
The buddhas, the leaders,
for the sake of giving rest call it nirvana,
but perceiving this rest should be ended,
they lead them on into Buddha-wisdom.”
the ten powers, and so on of the Buddha-laws,
and perfected the thirty-two signs,
then that is the real extinction.
The buddhas, the leaders,
for the sake of giving rest call it nirvana,
but perceiving this rest should be ended,
they lead them on into Buddha-wisdom.”
In reciting this verse section at the close of
Tuesday’s celebration, and repeating it beginning the following day, very much
in mind are pictures of those of my ancestors and siblings who have “gone
before” gracing the meditation center – especially in the line, “Your
sufferings are ended, you have finished your work. . .” They’re not pictured
trapped in some celestial realm but proceeding onward in new lives as I enfold
them in consciousness, encouraging them to proceed along the path in their
future live(s), “pushing forward to the Place of Jewels,” following the
Buddha-way toward enlightenment.
With this chapter, “Parable of the Magic City
wednesday’s
celebration includes the parable of the jewel in the robe which closes Chapter 8, “The Five
Hundred Disciples Receive the Prediction of Their Destiny,” followed by
“Prediction of the Destiny of Arhats, Training and Trained” in which Ananda, and the Buddha’s son, Rahula,
receive their prediction to become buddhas; “A Teacher of the Law,” at the end
of which, in Chapter 11, “Beholding the Precious Stupa,” a great treasure tower
rises from the earth, signifying the teaching for Chapters 11 through 22 will continue
in the sky; Wednesday continuing with “Devadatta,” “Exhortation to Hold Firm,”
concluding with “A Happy Life,” anticipating Thursday’s celebration of the central
core of the Lotus Sutra, chapters 15, 16, 17.
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