<< Previous Article
What is the Lotus Sutra? (2/11)
When Shakyamuni Buddha delivered the teachings of the Honmon (本門), encompassing chapters 15 through 22 of the Lotus Sutra, he made a profound revelation in chapter 16, “The Life Span of the Buddha” (如来寿量品第十六). For the first time, he declared:
People may believe that I am the Buddha who renounced his princely status, became a monk at nineteen, and attained enlightenment at thirty. However, my true form is the Primordial Eternal Buddha, who achieved enlightenment in the distant past.
He further explained:
I am constantly teaching and guiding all sentient beings, not only in the Saha World (娑婆世界, the Buddhist term for Earth) but also in every other world throughout the universe. However, I do not appear as this Primordial Buddha when saving each world. Instead, I manifest in various forms relevant to each world to aid its inhabitants.
This means that chapter 16, “The Life Span of the Buddha” (如来寿量品第十六), reveals that the Primordial Buddha has always been teaching and guiding us with immeasurable compassion, across the past, present, and future, in the Saha World and all other worlds.
Therefore, Shakyamuni Buddha, who historically lived in India, is another manifestation of the Primordial Buddha. According to his teachings, numerous Buddhas exist throughout the universe in the past, present, and future. We often hear the names of different Buddhas, such as Shakyamuni Buddha (釈迦牟尼仏), Amitabha Buddha (阿弥陀仏), and Medicine Master Buddha (薬師如来). People usually believe that these Buddhas can save us and answer our prayers, despite their different names. However, they actually perform different missions for different beings in different worlds. That is why it is generally said that Amitabha Buddha is the master of the Western Pure Land and Medicine Master Buddha is the master of the Eastern Pure Emerald World. The true form of all Buddhas is the Primordial Buddha, and Shakyamuni Buddha is his manifestation to save all sentient beings in the Saha World by spreading his teachings and demonstrating the practices.
The Primordial Buddha—the sole and most exalted Buddha—finally revealed his true essence when preaching the Honmon. Although the entire Honmon represents the most important teachings in the Lotus Sutra, the eight chapters from chapter 15, “Emerging from the Earth” (従地涌出品第十五), through chapter 22, “Entrustment” (嘱累品第二十二), are especially crucial for us living in the present age, known as the Latter Day of the Law—Mappō. These eight chapters are collectively called Honmon Happon (本門八品) teachings. “Happon” literally means “eight chapters” in Japanese. Let us explore the teachings of Honmon Happon in the next article.
