The Confessional Samadhi of the Lotus Sutra

The Confessional Samadhi of the Lotus Sutra

A. On Cultivating the Confession of the Lotus Sutra for Three Weeks

In the last 500-year period¹after the extinction of The One That Has Come², in the polluted and evil world, there will be monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen³ that will chant the Sutra of the Great Vehicle, desire to cultivate the practice of the Great Vehicle, and inspire the mind of the Great Vehicle.

They will desire to see the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue⁴ in the flesh.
They will desire to see the Buddha Sakyamuni, the Buddha Abundant Treasures, the Treasure Tower, and all the Buddha's Spiritual Emanations, including the Buddhas of the Ten Directions⁵.
They will desire to attain the purification of the six senses and enter into the sphere that is the Spiritual Realm of the Buddha's Enlightenment, penetrating and reaching it without hesitation.
They will desire to hear the teachings of the Buddhas of the Ten Directions and, in a single thought⁶, be able to completely accept, embrace, penetrate and realize all of them without forgetting them.
They will understand, explain, demonstrate, and teach all of them flawlessly and without hesitation.
They will desire to become close companions with the Bodhisattva Manjusri, the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue⁷, and the other Great Bodhisattvas.
They will desire to present their lives everywhere and, in each single thought, attain the meditation that neither arises nor is extinguished, reaching all the spiritual realms of the Buddhas⁸ in the Ten Directions and offering service to the Buddhas there.
They will desire to reach any of the spiritual realms of the Buddhas in the Ten Directions in a single thought.
They will manifest various kinds of incarnations and will make various kinds of spiritual transformations.
They will emit a great bright light and teach the Dharma to liberate living beings.
They will enter into the inconceivable One Vehicle.
They will desire to vanquish the four devils⁹ and be purified of all emotional distress.
They will extinguish sin and all the obstacles to the Path of Enlightenment.
In their present lives they will enter into the true rank of the Bodhisattvas and possess and master the merits and virtues of the Buddhas.

First it will be necessary for them to find a quiet, secluded place and, for three weeks, enter into the Samadhi of the Lotus Sutra with diligence and a single mind¹⁰.

If there are any present that have committed the five iniquities or the four heavy sins¹¹ and failed in their practice as a Bhiksu, that desire to regain their purity and again have the discipline of a Sramanera¹² or desire to attain the various wonderful merits and virtues as described before, they should cultivate the Samadhi of the Lotus Sutra with diligence and a single mind for three weeks.

This is because The Lotus Sutra is the Secret Treasury of Those That Have Come¹³ and, of all the Sutras, it is the most exalted.

Practicing the Great Straight Path without ceasing is difficult. Like the bright gem on the topknot of the Wheel Rolling King¹⁴, it is not something that is bestowed upon a person just by chance. If one attains it, one will perfectly possess and be the master of all the precious treasures one could ever need. The Samadhi of the Lotus Sutra is also like this. It is able to bestow all the precious treasures of the Buddha’s Enlightenment upon living beings.

Therefore those practicing the path of the Bodhisattvas must not be stingy with their bodies or their lives¹⁵, and should cultivate the practice of this Sutra forevermore, not just for three weeks.

Question:
The path of enlightenment is very long. Of what benefit could just three weeks of practice be?

Answer:
There are two kinds of benefit, which now must be explained.

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Footnotes:

1. The last 500 year period: According to The Lotus Sutra & The Nirvana Sutra, the Dharma (Teaching) of the Buddha will degrade over 500 or 1000-year periods after the Buddha’s entry into Nirvana.
A. The first period is the True Dharma, which is practiced with the purity of the original inspiration.
B. The middle period is the Copied Dharma, in which followers revise the teaching for the times
C. The final period is the End of the Dharma, in which the original intent of the teaching is lost

2. The One That Has Come: (S. Tathagata) One of the ten honorific titles of the Buddha, here referring to the Buddha Sakyamuni. It refers to the One that comes down to this world from the realm of the absolute spiritual reality to enlighten living beings and then reenters Nirvana, returning back to that absolute reality.

3. Monks: Bhiksus Nuns: Bhiksunis Laymen: Upasikas Laywomen: Upasikas – The 4 groups that constitute the Sangha, the community of the Buddhist faithful.

4. The Bodhisattva Universal Virtue: (S. Samantabhadra) Bodhisattva of the Great Vehicle (Mahayana) Sutras, playing an important role in the Flower Garland (Avatamsaka) Sutra and The Lotus Sutra. Featured in the last (28^th) chapter of The Lotus Sutra (The Encouragement of the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue) and the master of the confession in The Sutra on the Observation of the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue, a Sutra of one volume, which follows and closes The Lotus Sutra cycle. This Sutra explains this Samadhi of the Lotus Sutra.

5. The Buddha Sakyamuni, the Buddha Abundant Treasures, the Treasure Tower, and all the Buddha’s Spiritual Emanations, including the Buddhas of the Ten Directions: All participants in the ‘Ceremony in Empty Space’ that occurs in Chapters 11 through 22 of The Lotus Sutra. In the 11^th Chapter (The Treasure Tower), a vast Treasure Tower (see below*) springs up from the earth into empty space before Sakyamuni and the assembly. Inside is heard the Buddha Abundant Treasures, a Buddha who entered Nirvana in the ancient past and who made a vow to appear in his stupa any time The Lotus Sutra is expounded in order to attest to its truth. He now praises Sakyamuni’s teaching of The Lotus Sutra. Led by the Bodhisattva Great Eloquence, the assembly requests to see the Buddha Abundant Treasures. Sakyamuni tells the assembly that because of the original vow of the Buddha Abundant Treasures, the Buddha who is expounding The Lotus Sutra must first reassemble in one place all the Buddhas who are presently expounding The Lotus Sutra in the ten directions as His Spiritual Emanations; only then can the Tower be opened and the Buddha Abundant Treasures be revealed. Sakyamuni assembles His Spiritual Emanations (throughout space) who are countless in number and the Tower opens, revealing the Buddha Abundant Treasures. Sakyamuni (the Buddha of the present) joins the Buddha Abundant Treasures (the Buddha of the past) in the Tower, where they sit side by side. Then all the Emanations of the Buddha and all of the assembly (the Sangha - the Buddhas of the future) are invited up into the Treasure Tower for the ‘Ceremony in Empty Space’, which continues through 22^nd Chapter of The Lotus Sutra (The Entrusting of the Commission). The 'Ceremony in Empty Space' is the ritual of The Three Treasures ever bestowing and attaining enlightenment throughout space and time.

*Treasure Tower: (S. Stupa, a structure rising up towards the heavens); Towers contained the relics of the Buddha and were used as objects of worship by lay people. Although the relics were normally the Buddha’s (or a Bodhisattva's) physical remains (His ashes, that which He left in this world), here the Treasure Tower refers to the Spiritual Body, the embodiment of the Dharma or teaching (S. Dharmakaya) left in this world by the Buddha, i.e., The Lotus Sutra)

6. In a single thought: In a single instant

7. The Bodhisattva Manjusri: Personifying Prajna; guardian of the wisdom of the true spiritual aspect of reality. The Bodhisattva Universal Virtue: (S. Samantabhadra) Personifying the spiritual power and majesty of Virtue, and thus the guardian of the principle of the true spiritual aspect of reality – these Bodhisattvas represent what are known as the two adornments of enlightenment (Wisdom & Virtue).

8. Spiritual Realms of the Buddha: (S. Buddha-ksetra) Spiritual realms where Buddhas teach living beings, preparing them for enlightenment. Also known as ‘Pure Lands’.

9. The Four Devils: Luring one away from the Path of Enlightenment #1 The Devil of Emotional Distress and Sensual Desire #2 The Devil of the (Five) Aggregates of Self – the self or ego that one serves #3 The Devil of Mortality – the fear of death that holds one back #4 The Devil that is the Lord and Master of Desire, who uses the power of desire to control others. This fourth one is the source, whereas the first three are the manifestations.

10. A Single Mind: (S. Samadhi) Total mental concentration

11. The Five Iniquities: The Five grave premeditated sins - #1 Killing one’s mother #2 Killing one’s father #3 Killing an Arhat #4 Disrupting the Sangha #5 Harming the Buddha The Four Heavy Sins: (S. Parajikas) The heavy sins of a monk or nun #1 Sexual immorality #2 Stealing #3 Killing #4 Lying

12. Bhiksu: Ordained Monk (Initiate) Sramanera: Novice (Novitiate)

13. Those That Have Come: (S. Tathagatas) The Buddhas of the past, present & future that come down to this world from the absolute reality to enlighten living beings and then reenter Nirvana, returning back to that absolute reality from which they came.

15. Wheel rolling king: (S. Cakravartin) Great ruler of a nation or nations Bright Gem on the Topknot: The jewel in the crown

15. Bodies: Material lives Lives: Spiritual lives

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