Background
I came across Donald S. Lopez Jr. here (I listened on my podcast app). Then I became interested in The Lotus Sutra after I heard this episode (which I also listened to on my podcast app).
Those two podcast episodes led me to start reading The Lotus Sutra. I read the first two chapters because I was most interested in reading the third chapter. I also shared it with a couple friends. Telling them was the nudge I needed. Now I'm ready to read Lotus Sutra [Three] - Simile and Parable.
Introduction
I'm going to share some brief information about each chapter I read. The info will reflect the questions I had and ideas I looked up while I read. I will also share whatever responses I'm motivated enough to write about.
Readers with zero, or little, background in Buddhism, will probably need a lot more context. Readers with more background than me, can probably skip my context building.
I'm reading an online translation here.
Frame & POV
Point of View- there is a third person omniscient narrator.
Frame- there is the ultimate cosmic gathering. The narrator describes it in detail. The narrator drops a lot of names in the first chapter. I don't think readers need to know most of them.
Names and Terms
Śākyamuni Buddha- (Sanskrit: Śākya-muni, “Sage of the Śākya [clan]”) is the historical Buddha, the human teacher who lived and taught in northern India in the 5th–4th century BCE. Born as Siddhārtha Gautama (Pāli: Siddhattha Gotama). He will be the speaker of the sutra that makes up The Lotus Sutra.
Bodhisattvas- A bodhisattva is a being who has generated the vow to become a Buddha but delays final enlightenment out of compassion, working to liberate all other beings first.
Mañjuśrī (Wisdom)- Mañjuśrī is a prominent bodhisattva in Mahāyāna Buddhism who represents transcendent wisdom.
Śāriputra- is a Chief disciple known for wisdom (in the early tradition). Will later become central in Chapter 3 (Burning House Parable) and Chapter 5.
TLDR
The setting is a grand cosmic assembly. Everyone and their mother is there, including and not limited to: sons of gods; dragon kings; human, divine, and mythic creatures; and 80,000 bodhisattvas. It's a really big deal. The Buddha preaches "the Great Vehicle sutra entitle Immeasurable Meanings." This preaching is mentioned, but the Buddha isn't quoted and doesn't speak yet in the text. Next, the Buddha enters, "into the samadhi of the place of immeasurable meanings, his body and mind never moving." The numerous miraculous signs prove it. Someone asks what's up, so Mañjuśrī (Wisdom) vouches for the occasion. All this sets the stage for chapter two when the Buddha will speak.
Reading Responses
I missed the significance of the samadhi when I read it. This place of immeasurable meanings sets off the miracles to come. The framing is wild. You have to respect the length the authors of the text go through to prove themselves. The Lotus Sutra is attempting to undermine the historical and traditional teachings of the Buddha. How does one do that? You can start by proving the significance of the occasion.
Christians also do this. How many eyewitnesses saw the resurrected Jesus? Zero to five depending on how generous one wants to be. There is only one person, who has survived history, that reports having saw Jesus after his death. It's Paul. he says:
[Jesus] appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:4–8)
This is only one eyewitness. Paul is claiming others witnessed it. But that is not 500 plus eyewitnesses. That's a report of 500 eyewitnesses.
I'm not saying Paul was lying. I'm saying one can't just believe Paul because it's in the New Testament. And The Lotus Sutra proves my point!
It's so extreme and mythical that I doubt many readers would or will take it seriously. But the authors go through great details to prove their authority. It's worth reading the chapter to read what I mean.
As I mentioned above, the narrator is dropping so many names and numbers of people. Thousands of followers, 80,000 bodhisattvas, Kings, and Gods are all present for the cosmic event centered around the Buddha. The miracles further solidify the occasions. Then after Maitreya asks a questions. Manjushri explains how important the occasion is that the Buddha is going to give the great Law.
It all comes together.
But, did it happen?
According to The Lotus Sutra, it did. Using Christian reasoning, one could try to claim all the people described were eyewitnesses to The Lotus Sutra teachings of the Buddha. Why would they make that up?
In this case it's so obvious. the authors want to undermine traditional teachings. The main difference between The Lotus Sutra and Christianity is myth building. The Lotus Sutra presents a wild cosmic myth that can't literally be true. The quantity and quality prove its significance. It's not proof, or even good evidence, that this really happened. It's proof that the proceeding teaching are really important.
Multiple Christians have asked me why Paul and other NT authors would make up things about Jesus. My new response is to read the first several paragraphs of The Lotus Sutra.