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The Lotus Sutra
Burton Watson on the Lotus Sutra
“Some of the most important principles of
Buddhism are only touched upon in passing,
as though the reader or hearer is expected to
be acquainted with them already, while
many of the more revolutionary doctrines
are not presented in any orderly fashion or
supported by careful or detailed arguments
but rather thrust upon him with the
suddenness of divine revelation.”
Important Features of the Lotus
Sutra
• Mythical scenarios
• Parables
• Cosmology
Major Teachings of the Lotus
Sutra
• Many Buddhas
• One Vehicle
• Skilful Means (+compassion)
• The Bodhisattva Path for All
• The continued life and availability to
help of the Buddha
What’s NOT in the Lotus Sutra
• No systematic explanation of emptiness or
non-dualism
• No systematic treatment of ethics and
compassion
• No systematic explanation of the
bodhisattva way (the bhumis, the vow, the
paramitas)
• the Tathagatagarbha doctrine
Paul Williams on the Lotus Sutra 1
“The principal message of the first half of the
Lotus Sutra [is] the Buddha’s skilful means,
the doctrine of the One Vehicle, and the
complete joy of the Buddha’s disciples in
finding that they will, indeed must, attain
Perfect Buddhahood.”
This message is supported by:
• The Parable of the Burning House
• The Parable of the Hidden Jewel
• The Parable of the Magic City
Paul Williams on the Lotus Sutra 2
“The doctrine that the Buddha remains, has
not abandoned his children but is still here
helping us in many infinite compassionate
ways … forms the centrepiece of the Lotus
Sutra’s second half.”
This doctrine is supported by:
• The emergence of the Treasure Tower
• The Parable of the Physician
• The vast numbers of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
The Appeal and Popularity of the
Lotus Sutra 1
• The Sutra’s ability to explain why Buddhist
teachings vary so enormously
• The Sutra’s ability to justify changing
Buddhist teachings and practices to suit
particular cultures
• The magical power of the Lotus Sutra to
save beings
• The sutra’s promise of disproportionately
huge results for small acts of faith and
devotion
The Appeal and Popularity of the
Lotus Sutra 2
• The majority of Mahayana Buddhists see the
Lotus Sutra as a central text for doctrine and
practice
• The Tendai School of Buddhism takes the
Lotus Sutra (together with the
Mahaparinirvana Sutra) to be the Buddha’s
final and highest teaching
• The Nichiren school of Buddhism teaches that
in this ‘Degenerate Age’ only the Lotus Sutra
has the power to save us. Nichiren Buddhists
chant ‘Reverence to the Lotus Sutra’ (Nam Myo
Ho Renge Kyo)