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Thursday, August 31, 2017

The Lotus Sutra doesn’t say to propagate Ikadaism, Nikkenism, Value Creationism, Holy Waterism, Kuan Yinism, nor even Nichirenism. It says to propagate the Lotus Sutra.

The word "propagate" is found, twice in three chapters (13, 14, and 22) of the Lotus Sutra:

“World-Honored One, leader and teacher,
you bring tranquility to heavenly and human beings.
We have heard these prophecies
and our minds are peaceful and satisfied.
The nuns, having recited these verses, said to the
Buddha, “World-Honored One, we too will be able to go to
lands in other regions and broadly propagate this sutra.”(Chapter 13)

“They rose from their seats, advanced before the Buddha
and, pressing their palms together with a single mind,
thought to themselves, if the World-Honored One should
order us to embrace and preach this sutra, we would do
as the Buddha instructed and broadly propagate this Law.
And then they thought to themselves, But the Buddha now
is silent and gives us no such order. What shall we do?”(Chapter 13)

“If a bodhisattva will at times
enter a quiet room
and with the correct mental attitude
will view phenomena according to the doctrine,
and then, rising from his meditation,
will for the sake of the ruler,
the princes, ministers and people,
the Brahmans and others,
unfold, propagate, expound
and preach this sutra,
then his mind will be tranquil, 
free of qualing and timidity (Chapter 14) 

“Manjushri this Lotus Sutra is the secret storehouse of
the Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones. Among the sutras, it
holds the highest place. Through the long night I have
guarded and protected it and have never recklessly
propagated it. But today for the first time I expound it
for your sake.”(Chapter 14)

“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 Law of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Now I entrust
it to you. You must single-mindedly propagate this Law
abroad, causing its benefits to spread far and wide.”(Chapter 22)

“Three times he patted the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas
on the head and spoke these words: “For immeasurable
hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of asamkhya
kalpas I have practiced this hard-to-attain Law of
anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Now I entrust it to you. You
must accept, uphold, recite, and broadly propagate this
Law, causing all living beings everywhere to hear and
understand it. Why? Because the Thus Come One has great
pity and compassion. He is in no way stingy or
begrudging, nor has he any fear. He is able to bestow on
living beings the wisdom of the Buddha, the wisdom of
the Thus Come One, the wisdom that comes of itself. The
Thus Come One is a great giver of gifts to all living
beings. You for your part should respond by studying
this Law of the Thus Come One. You must not be stingy or
begrudging.”(Chapter 22)

and in Chapter 18 we read,

in a place where the Sutra is lectured,
He encourages another to sit down and listen,
By virtue of his blessings, he will gain
The seat of Shakra, Brahma, or a wheel-turning king.
How much greater will the blessings be of one who single-mindedly listens
And explains the Sutra's meaning, 
Cultivating it as he preaches
His blessings shall know no limit.

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