Stories of the Lotus Sutra - The Jewel in the Topknot

[Bion]

For the fruits of these vows to bud and eventually blossom, it takes consistent effort and practice.

I would take it a step further and say, the special thing about the vows is that they bear fruit instantly.

Gassho
sat lah

[Bion]

This chapter irritates me.

It tells one to avoid shravakas and, at the same time, accepts that there are different valid vehicles.
It tells one to avoid "wrestlers and boxers" and later - "the five types of unmanly men". Come on, be consistent I won't even quote who these "five types" are; feel free to google "paṇḍaka".
This list can be much longer.

I explained many of the inconsistencies to myself by the fact that this text might be a collection of texts, traditions, and teachings, but it's hard not to notice these very clear inconsistencies. One need not be a modern person to notice them. Old sages were smart enough - why compile a text like this?

And the most annoying thing is this "hidden and later revealed" idea. I get it, some teachings go through transformation and change across different ages and cultures, but it was not hidden at the beginning to be revealed later.


satlah

I hear you, friend!

In challenging moments of reflection like this one, it’s important to remember that the Lotus Sutra does not represent the entirety of the Mahayana tradition throughout its history. Although I’ve mentioned this before, it wasn’t a significant text for a period. It clearly reflects a movement, perhaps even a specific group, within a particular area of the Mahayana world, and it illustrates its evolution across both space and time, as well as the broader struggles within the Buddhist community. Like most Mahayana sutras, it may have originated as something different and gradually accumulated more content over decades and centuries. Modifications were made to enhance their authority and validate their authenticity. Some sutras began as dialogues between a teacher and a student, evolved into discussions among the Buddha’s first disciples, and eventually featured the Buddha as the central figure.


gassho
sat lah

[Bion]

Book Club people, please remember tomorrow we're doing Book Club things! Our fantastic meeting occurs across space and time precisely when it is scheduled!
We'll have lots of fun, and we'll miss those of you who are away, or can't make it cause capitalism is not cooperating with the Dharma! (thinking about you Choujou )

See you tomorrow, everyone!

Gassho

[Seikan]

I hope to make it for part of the discussion tomorrow, but I am covering a friend's yoga class right beforehand, and I may not make it back in time. If not, I'll catch up with the recording and see you all at the next one.

Fingers crossed!

Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

[Choujou]

Book Club people, please remember tomorrow we're doing Book Club things! Our fantastic meeting occurs across space and time precisely when it is scheduled!
We'll have lots of fun, and we'll miss those of you who are away, or can't make it cause capitalism is not cooperating with the Dharma! (thinking about you Choujou )

See you tomorrow, everyone!

Gassho

Hey Bion!

Surprisingly enough, I’m not working, but I am away! I am currently in London, Ontario, Canada visiting with Onki! Also will be visiting Shokai and some Sarnia treeleafers on Sunday as well! We have a full day planned tomorrow and I don’t think I will be able to make it, but I will be with you all in spirit and will catch up later. I am also going to try to post something about the chapter soon… sorry to fall behind but it’s been a travel week for me! (Old Chatham and Syracuse, New York, Niagara Falls, Ontario…)I hope everyone is well and love to everyone!

Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today

[Taiji]

Hey, all!

Here I come, coasting in at the last minute with my hot take on this chapter.

First up, I haven't read the actual section in the Lotus Sutra proper, so I'm basing my comments only on the short list of stuff Reeves mentions in the "Stories of..." book. Second, as usual, my Big Thinks™ are probably best ignored. But if you choose not to ignore them...

I wasn't as frustrated by that first set of precautions about how to behave and what to avoid. Setting aside entirely that the list comes out of a totally different time and culture from my own and that I know I'm missing a giant flying stupa full of context for that reason, the main thing I see here is that the avoidances are ways to avoid being put in situations that may make it easier for a person to rationalize compromising their vows and principles. Not getting too close to or receiving gifts from, in more modern terms, politically powerful folks, celebrities/influencers, pro athletes, agribusiness execs, and others makes a solid kind of sense from the angle of avoiding a conflict of interest. The Stories text at least doesn't say to shun these people or not to associate with them at all. It seems, rather, to caution against excessively intimate involvement with them. Start taking gifts from people, especially extravagant gifts, and before you know it, you'll find yourself potentially beholden to them or more likely to be influenced by them, and you'll be more likely to make certain exceptions for them or give them special treatment. Then there's also the possibility of getting caught in a difficult or even dangerous position should there be a situation in which you find yourself pulled in multiple directions by competing loyalties.

What I see is more that the bodhisattva should treat everyone the same, should avoid getting tangled in politics, unequal power dynamics, and situations where they'll be more likely to stumble into causing harm. On its surface, all of this restriction looks like a huge pain in the rear, and maybe we feel the impulse to push back. But I think there's also some solid reasoning behind certain strict limits and restrictions on behavior as a general principle (culture- and time-bound specifics notwithstanding). If you simply don't do certain things, then you don't have to dedicate willpower and mental energy to deciding to what extent you can be flexible or how much risk is an acceptable level of risk, or to managing whatever catastrophes migth crop up as a result of that behavior. It's not something you have to worry about, so you can devote that energy to something else (like teaching the Dharma and expounding the Lotus Sutra despite the frustrations of whatever evil age). In this way, the restrictions actually become liberating in a way.

Similarly, the precautions against talking smack about other Dharma teachers and people who follow other ways, as well as the admonition against seeking expensive gifts, really seem to suggest practical ways to stay out of trouble, allowing one to keep one's mind at ease and energies freed up to focus on more important things. Honestly, all of it really seems like it could make for the foundation of good advice these days in particular, given the particularly toxic landscape that places like social media platforms can be (or at least that it was before I finally bailed on all of mine a couple of years ago).

Anyway, that's enough out of me for now.

Can't wait to chat with everybody tomorrow!

Gassho,
Taiji
Sat/LAH Today

[Choujou]

Good morning everyone!

just a quick post…

“In this story, this parable of the jewel in the topknot, we can see both the idea that the Dharma Flower Sutra is supreme and the idea that it is supreme precisely because it directs us to seek out and reward the good that we can find everywhere.”

I think Reeves summed it up nicely with this sentence. To Seek the good in others… one of the precepts we follow is to not speak of others errors, faults, shortcomings etc… this chapter I felt fell in line with this. Rather than finding faults in others, the lotus sutra encourages us to find the good, to reward it, and reinforce those habits and behaviors in others that do good for all. It is a more satisfying and pleasant way to live in my opinion. In doing so, we become a light in others lives, and lift them out of darkness. If we constantly seek the evil in others to punish it, nothing is gained for those doing the evil. Their evil ways will continue and potentially become worse after being treated poorly. When treated with kindness and compassion, the light we shine can help to dispel the darkness they hold within. I understand that this will not always work in every situation as some people cling to the darkness, but all we can do is make the effort and try our best.


Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today

[Naiko]

This is quote that has stayed with me this week after reading and contemplating this chapter. If nothing else, this is what I would like to take from this Sutra.

”For those who would be followers of the Dharma Flower Sutra, while it is important to understand the teaching of buddha-nature, understanding or accepting the idea of universal buddha-nature is nowhere near as important as actually embodying that idea in everyday life by seeing and respecting the buddha-nature in those around us.”

Gassho,
Naiko
stlah

[Chikyou]

I’m going to miss today’s discussion because I just found out my local pride event is today and I don’t want to miss it. I look forward to catching up later!

Gassho,
SatLah,
Chikyō

[Dachi]

Sorry, tied up today. Looking forward to watching the replay.

gassho, Dachi