Among the many Buddhist scriptures, the Lotus Sutra is king. The original Sanskrit title is Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra, translated by Kumārajīva into Chinese as Miaofa lianhua jing (Jpn., Myōhō-renge-kyō). The Sanskrit title means “Scripture [sūtra] of the White Lotus [puṇḍarīka] of the Correct [sad] Teaching [dharma],” while the Chinese title means “Scripture of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Teaching.” The puṇḍarīka is a variety of lotus with white flowers. Buddhists would seem to see the figure of Shakyamuni, who strove to liberate people from suffering in a world filled with both good and evil, superimposed on these awesomely imposing and refreshing white lotus flowers, growing as they do in muddy water without being sullied by it.
In the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings we read that after the Buddha’s sermon had ended, “various kinds of celestial flowers, such as utpala, padma, kumuda, and puṇḍarīka, rained down from the sky.” It is worth noting that the utpala, padma, kumuda, and puṇḍarīka that rained from the sky to bear witness to this auspicious occasion are all varieties of lotus (or water lily), respectively blue, red, yellow, and white in color.
In Japan Prince Shōtoku (574–622) wrote a commentary on the Lotus Sutra not long after Buddhism had been introduced there. Identifying the “lotus” in the title of the Lotus Sutra with the puṇḍarīka, he detected in a characteristic of this plant— the fact that it blooms and bears fruit at the same time—a characteristic of the Lotus Sutra, which explains both cause and effect together.
The Lotus Sutra is incomparably engrossing as a narrative, but in addition there are abundant references to many familiar things such as animals, plants, accessories, and so on. Since we are seeking sustenance for our daily lives in Buddhism, it is my hope that we will take the Lotus Sutra in our hands and read through it little by little.
Atsushi Kanazawa is a professor emeritus in the Faculty of Buddhism at Komazawa University, Tokyo. He specializes in the Indian philosophy of language and the history of Indian philosophy and culture.
