The Lotus Sutra

[Aemilius]

Translation of this mantra is wellcome. The translation doesn't seem to be connected with Tendai at all. Lotus sutra belongs to the general Mahayana. Tendai doesn't own it.

[Jikan]

You're correct there, Aemilius, but you're rebutting a point I didn't make. The broader point is that the mahajrya people don't know what they're talking about, and shouldn't be relied on to translate.

[Jikan]

Here's the dharani in the Numata edition:

Adaṇḍe daṇḍapati daṇḍāvartani daṇḍakuśale daṇḍasudhāri sudhāri sudhārapati buddhapaśyane sarvadhāraṇī āvartani sarvabhāṣyā- vartane su-āvartane saṃghaparīkṣani saṃghanirghātani asaṃge saṃgāpa-gate tṛ-adhvasaṃgatulyaprāpte sarvasaṃgasamatikrānte sarvadharmasuparīkṣite sarvasattvarutakauśalyānugate siṃhavikrīḍite.

It differs from the transliteration in the Hurvitz edition. According to Hurvitz, there are significant variances between the extant Sanskrit version of the dharani and Kumarajiva's Chinese translation, which is the basis of most traditions of practice.

I don't know of a translation of this dharani into English, and I don't know anyone who recites it in translation.

[Leo Rivers]

Lotus Sutra Dharani Sanskrit Avalokitesvara

on iTunes “CD "Sanskrit Dharani of Lotus Sutra" is available at myoedizioni.it and iTunes “
for a whole album of versions of it.
http://vodpod.com/watch/5035572-lotus-sutra-dharani-sanskrit-avalokitesvara

AND

I downloaded this other [delightful recitation] and looped yesterday as I worked. My cat thinks I'm strange. And - looked in the speaker for the girl and didn't find her.

I explained how it was she neither was, wasn't, was and wasn't or weren't was or wasn't there - yet we could hear her in empty air.

My cat thinks I'm strange.

9. Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s Mantra (普賢菩薩所説咒) http://www.sutrasmantras.info/mantra09.html

[upasaka_/\_]

very interesting stuff! i heard the lotus sutra talks about martial arts, is this true? if so, what does it say about them?

[Aemilius]

very interesting stuff! i heard the lotus sutra talks about martial arts, is this true? if so, what does it say about them?

I don't think it says anything about martial arts. It does however give a list of demanding rules for a follower of the Lotus Sutra, where it says that a follower of the Lotus sutra doesn't not go to shows where people are knocking down each other.
It is a quite different thing.

[gingercatni]

why in the lotus sutra is Ratnasambhava referred to as a Buddha field and not a Buddha? I know Ratnasambhava's original name was Ratnaketu and it changed to Ratnasambhava, but it seems rather odd to me. Any ideas?

[Aemilius]

In the human world there are people with the same name yet they are different persons. There are persons with the name of a city (Paris), yet they are persons and not the city.

[gingercatni]

In the human world there are people with the same name yet they are different persons. There are persons with the name of a city (Paris), yet they are persons and not the city.

True, but this is such a significant name, I wonder why then Ratnaketu Buddha's name was changed at all to create such obvious confusion? What was the point of the name change when this is not his real name and who "authorised" this name change! It's the same in the Amitabha Sutra, Ratnaketu is described as a buddha in the west but in earlier sutra's he is said to have his pureland in the south. whoever compiled the sutras in written form obviously wasn't keeping track! Yep it's one of those days, questions questions questions!

[Aemilius]

In the human world there are people with the same name yet they are different persons. There are persons with the name of a city (Paris), yet they are persons and not the city.

True, but this is such a significant name, I wonder why then Ratnaketu Buddha's name was changed at all to create such obvious confusion? What was the point of the name change when this is not his real name and who "authorised" this name change! It's the same in the Amitabha Sutra, Ratnaketu is described as a buddha in the west but in earlier sutra's he is said to have his pureland in the south. whoever compiled the sutras in written form obviously wasn't keeping track! Yep it's one of those days, questions questions questions!

There are many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who have several names, like one human being also has several names that used in different situations, by different people, for different purposes.
In the Pureland school there is the Bhikshu Dharmakara who after a long bodhisattva career became Buddha Amitabha. Kenneth K. Tanka when writing about the chinese pureland buddhism says that Dharmakara appears under fourteen different names in the pureland canonical literature!
I think that Ratnasambhava has even more names than Ratnaketu and Ratnasambhava. Just be flexible.

[Son of Buddha]

If you wannna read a good Book that explains the Lotus sutra check out the Mahaparinirvana sutra,Both sutras are one in the same,also check out the queen srimala sutra it does a goood job of discribing what the Buddha meant by provisional and the One vehicle.

peace and love

[safron]

I'm sorry for interrupting any flow of thought with the previous posts but I need to ask something.


I think I read in the lotus sutra, I may be wrong, where there were or are the kinds of people who are able to go from one planet to another in an instant. Do you know what Im talking about? I really have a tough time understanding all of that. I really dont understand what were suppose learn from that.

[Son of Buddha]

I'm sorry for interrupting any flow of thought with the previous posts but I need to ask something.


I think I read in the lotus sutra, I may be wrong, where there were or are the kinds of people who are able to go from one planet to another in an instant. Do you know what Im talking about? I really have a tough time understanding all of that. I really dont understand what were suppose learn from that.

HEY Safron,first we need to know what u are talking about,what chapter is it?what page?(translation also)

well he might be talking about meditation and the mind leaving the body and traveling to distant places thats one way of looking at it

OR he could be talking literally meaning the mind and phisical body both travel in an instant.

both are very plausible in Buddhism(the Buddha and high level Bodhisattvas had special physical powers such as flying to the moon and walking on water)adn even healing the blind and disfigured these things are rarely mentioned in the west.but are common topics in china and japan.

It probley isnt meant to be something to learn,its probley just showing the Eternal Buddhas powers and the powers of the high level Bodhisattvas.

just like in how chapter 23 people try to explain it in metaphorical terms,when all it is talking about is a Bodhisattva voluntaroly taking rebirth from the pureland to the human realms(in the pureland life is eternal to leave you have to volontarily give up ur body to take rebirth into the human realms,and since their is no killing or violence in the pureland the only way to give up the body is to end it yourself(he manifests all physical forms and turns his body into fire with his mind and burns out) this is considered the greatest sacrifice casue he is volontarily giving up life in the pureland(and its pure body) and volonytarily taking up rebirth into the human realms) Peace and Love

[safron]

Lotus Sutra: Chapter 27

In space they walked, stood, sat, and reclined. From the upper part of their bodies, they emitted water; and from the lower part, fire. From the lower part of their bodies, they emitted water; and from the upper part, fire. They manifested in huge bodies filling up all of space, and then they manifested as being small. From being small, they again manifested as being large. In space, they disaippeared and then suddenly reappeared on the earth. They entered the earth as if it were water, and walked on the water as if it were earth.

[Jikan]

Interpretations differ on that. The point is that they had developed extraordinary capacities resultant to their practice. (the two sons of the king are trying to convince their father of something...)

[Aemilius]

Buddha Shakyamuni himself performed similar miracles in the early part of his career, they are usually called the Twin Miracle, and they consists of a similar series of miracles as the ones in the Lotus sutra.
In a sarvastivadin sutra called Satusparisat sutra Buddha Shakyamuni performs a series of sixteen miracles before Uruvilva Kashyapa, but the latter refuses to acknowledge Buddha's superiority, untill Shakyamuni finally says to him that he is not an Arahat and he is not even on a way to becoming one!
Uruvilava Kashyapa was at that time 120 years old and a respected leader of brahmin disciples. After Uruvilva and his disciples become Buddha Shakyamuni's disciples, he teaches them and they all become soon Arhats.
They then all appear before the laity, who are now perplexed and ask whether Shakyamuni has become a disciple of Uruvilava Kashyapa or has the latter bacome a disciple of Shakyamuni, who is only 35 years of age? Now Uruvilva Kashyapa bows in public to his teacher Shakyamuni, and Shakyamuni asks Uruvilva to confound the audience. Then Uruvilva Kashyapa performs the Twin Miracle before a large gathering of people.

[Son of Buddha]

"RikudouSennin"

can we start early?
If not i had wanted to discuss some things in the LS

What would you like to discuss?