THE SUTRA OF THE LOTUS FLOWER OF
THE WONDERFUL DHARMA
TRANSLATED BY SENCHU MURANO
Chapter I “Introductory”
THUS have I heard.’ The Buddha once lived on Mt. Grdharkuta2 in the City of King-House.3 He was accompanied by twelve thou¬sand great bhiksus. They were Arhats. They had already eliminated asravas, and had no illusions. They had already benefited themselves, broken [...]

The Lotus Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
Chapter Twenty-eight: The Encouragement of Bodhisattva Universally Worthy
At that time Bodhisattva Universal worthy, famed for his freely exercised transcendental powers, dignity and virtue, in company with great bodhisattvas in immeasurable, boundless, indescribable numbers, arrived from the east. The lands that he passed through one and all quaked and trembled, jeweled [...]

The Lotus Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
Chapter Twenty-seven: The Former Deeds of King Wondrous Splendor
At that time the Buddha addressed the great assembly, saying: “In an age long ago, an immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable number of asamkhya kalpas in the past, there was a Buddha named Cloud Thunder Sound Constellation King Flower Wisdom, tathagata, arhat, samyak-sambuddha. His [...]

The Lotus Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
Chapter Twenty-six: Dharani
At that time the Bodhisattva Medicine king rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, pressed his palms together and, facing the Buddha, spoke to him, saying, “World-Honored One, if there are good men or good women who can accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra, if they read [...]

The Lotus Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
Chapter Twenty-five: The Universal Gate of Bodhisattva Kanzeon
At that time the bodhisattva Inexhaustible Intent immediately rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, pressed his palms together and, facing the Buddha, spoke these words: “World Honored One, this Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds– why is he called Perceiver of [...]

The Lotus Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
Chapter Twenty-four: Bodhisattva Myozon
At that time Shakyamuni Buddha emitted a beam of bright light from the knob of flesh [on top of his head], one of the features of a great man, and also emitted a beam of light from the tuft of white hair between his eyebrows, illuminating the [...]

The Lotus Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
Chapter Twenty-three: The Former Deeds of Bodhisattva Medicine King
At that time bodhisattva Constellation King Flower spoke to the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored One, how does the bodhisattva Medicine King come and go in the saha world? World-Honored One, this bodhisattva Medicine King has carried out some hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions [...]

The Lotus Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
Chapter Twenty-two: Entrustment
At that time Shakyamuni Buddha rose from his Dharma seat and, manifesting his great supernatural powers, with his right hand patted the heads of the immeasurable bodhisattvas and mahasattvas and spoke these words: “For immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of asamkhya kalpas I have practiced this hard-to-attain [...]

The Lotus Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
Chapter Twenty-one: The Mystic Powers of the Tathagata
At that time the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas who had emerged from the earth, numerous as the dust particles of a thousand worlds, all in the presence of the Buddha single-mindedly pressed their palms together, gazed up in reverence at the face of the [...]

The Lotus Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
Chapter Twenty: Bodhisattva Never Disparaging
At that time the Buddha said to the bodhisattva and mahasattva Gainer of Great Authority: ‘You should understand this. When monks, nuns, laymen or laywomen uphold the Lotus Sutra, if anyone should speak ill of them, curse or slander them, he will suffer severe recompense for [...]