I read the chapter online here. This is a continuation of my previous post on chapter one, read it here.
The Lotus Sutra Profile
Authorship- like most
ancient texts, there is no consensus as to when it was written, who
wrote it, or the exact process of the ideas and composition. It was mostly likely written, edited, and complied by multiple authors, over multiple decades.
Dating- the
ideas, stories, and sutras likely originated between 100 BCE-100 CE. This aligns with the emergence of Mahāyāna buddhism. It
likely had oral and or textual origins in local Indian languages, like
Prakrit, before being being composed in Sanskrit between 100-250 CE.
Versions- chapters 2-9 are likely the oldest. Chapter 1 was likely a later addition. There is debate about the progression of the other chapters.
Translations- The oldest surviving texts are Chinese translations. Dharmarakṣa (286 CE) is the oldest full Chinese translation, 27 chapters. Kumārajīva (406 CE) is the which is most influential Chinese translation; it is 28 chapters and the basis for East Asian tradition.
Point of View- there is a third person omniscient narrator.
Frame- Chapter one was a cosmic setting. Chapter two is a lot more intimate with teacher and student. Chapter two is most likely the original beginning of oldest version of the The Lotus Sutra.
Names and Terms
Arhats-is one who has gained insight into the nature of existence, has achieved nirvana,[1][2] and has been liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth.Mahāyāna considers arhatship provisional and not final.
Dharma-is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term dharma does not have a single, clear translation and conveys a multifaceted idea.In its most commonly used sense, dharma refers to an individual's moral responsibilities or duties; the dharma of a farmer differs from the dharma of a soldier, thus making the concept of dharma dynamic. In Buddhism, dharma is the truth about reality.
Mahāyāna Buddhists- meaning "Great Vehicle," is one of the two major branches of Buddhism that emphasizes achieving enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, rather than just oneself.
Nirvana- is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering (duḥkha) and from the cycle of birth and rebirth (saṃsāra).[3][4][5]
Samādhi- in the Indian religions, is a state of meditative consciousness. In a Buddhist context, samadhi is a state of intensified awareness and focus. In the context of The Lotus Sutra, this is the
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.
Śāriputra- one of the top disciples of the Buddha.
TLDR
"At that time the World-Honored One calmly arose from his samadhi and addressed Shariputra, saying: "The wisdom of the Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable." The Buddha explains how his wisdom can't be taught. His traditional teachings-the teaching of the historical Buddha- were provisional teaching. But, since Śāriputra asked three times, the Buddha decides to teach his true teachings: all people are bound for Buddhahood. The following chapters of The Lotus Sutra are the true teachings of the Buddha. Ironically, the teachings people can't understand...Reading Response
The first sentence is very abrupt. I like it. It reminds me of Siddhartha by Herman Hesse: enlightenment can't be taught. This is a common Indian metaphysical idea. And then ironically, because he was asked three times, the Buddha decides to give it a go.
Chapter 2 drops most of the cosmic mythology. It's pretty clear that this teacher student dialogue was the original set up for the parables and teachings that come in the following chapters. The opening of the Buddha arising from meditation is a common trope in other sutras as well.
Chapter 2 is very much like a New Testament. The old teachings were baby steps because people are too dumb. Now, without a good reason, people can handle the true teachings. If that doesn't make sense to you, you're not alone.
The Mahāyāna decide- discover if you want to be generous- that everyone is destined to be a Buddha. This is a nicer idea and it makes sense why a monk or follower of Buddha would struggle with this dilemma. What good is saving yourself if others are stuck in samsara? For the Christian analogy- what good is saving yourself if all your loved ones are stuck in Hell. Could one really be happy with Jesus knowing their friends and family are burning in hell for all eternity?
So, the Mahāyāna have to undermine the Buddha's traditional teachings because the Buddha didn't teach that everyone is destined for Buddhahood. How do you do that? Well, you take the Buddha's top student and you create a dialogue between then where the Buddha explains why his previous teachings weren't the true teachings. This isn't that crazy because many Asians already agree with ideas like enlightenment and wisdom can't be verbally expressed.
But, then the Mahāyān have to express their new idea. It's not really a difficult idea, but the Buddha didn't teach it... So they Buddha explains it to his top student. That doesn't seem to work well enough, so later Mahāyānas add the cosmic mythology of chapter one along with additional sutras and an updated theology.
The problem I see is blatantly obvious. Who is stopping some other group from sending The Buddha's Last messenger? They would have to have a better message, but other than that there doesn't really seem to be any authority for The Lotus Sutra besides its teachings and stories.
Lastly, if people can't understand-and the Buddha says so in the opening- why would they now be able to understand it? I must be misunderstanding it myself because it doesn't seem very difficult to understand.
Chapter three coming next!
