Editorial by Lady Nichinyo of France

My discovery of the profoundness of the Lotus Sutra

I had started practicing in Nichiren sho shu then later after the split in the SGI. So my only contact with the Lotus sutra was reciting two selected chapters and passages in ancient Japanese. I didn’t have a clue what I was saying and even today after not doing it for some years, my mouth can move up and down pronouncing the words but my brain is not engaged.

However I finally decided after leaving the SGI that I should really try and study it in a language I could understand. I adopted various translations avoiding the SGI publications and I began to embark on my studies.

What happened first? I found that I was not even able to get through one chapter as I would suddenly go to sleep .This happened a few times but when I realized what was happening it stopped occurring. Then I had to battle with feelings of what is this all about, when do you get to the bit that tells you what the dharma, the law is all about. I felt a rising frustration but I persevered. Then I suddenly realized I was trying to impose my preconceived ideas about it. Without realizing, we carry many assumptions about things based on a myriad of reasons. Our educational background our upbringing and of course our experiences in life. We cannot help that as we are made up of the inherent causes we have made which we carry with us from birth and before.

I managed to push these aside by opening my life up and to try and except what I was reading with a completely open mind. This is why the Buddha teaches. Those who are unable to listen to the teachings of the Lotus sutra have great arrogance. He also knew that this failing will effect all their lives not only unable to open up to the Lotus Sutra but in other areas. Really, arrogance is a form of fear, as people will protect what they have built up in their minds as the truth and see it as their security. 

Then when I realized this I found I could let it speak to me. Throughout, it directs you to read write and tell others. It seemed so simple and you think well and… But when you understand everything is to do with cause and effect you realize this statement is more loaded then on face value. The Buddha goes on to say anyone who does this is worthy of great respect. And in one chapter it says that those who do so in the evil age are more worthy then he himself. You think wow is he having me on. 

I had been in the medical field dealing with many people that have mental problems and addictions and one of the common denominators that I have observed is feelings of low self esteem, lack of confidence and, at times, self hatred. Here was the Buddha saying anyone who reads and tells others about my teachings is worthy of great respect. Where is the hours of counselling involved, spilling out your guts that your mother or dad did not love you. No, the Buddha said you are worthy just as you are. If you believe this with your whole heart all inferiority would melt as snow in the sunshine. Again people would think it is too simple and therefore some kind of con. But think about it. If you start to embark on believing the truth in the Lotus sutra what other cause can be more important?

Quite often in therapy they will try to build you up by using the same methods that eroded your self esteem in the first place. You will find they will get you to look at yourself as really a good person because of your accomplishments, your husband or wife loves you etc. But these are all really using methods of various degrees as reasons to feel good. But what if they were taken away from you as people have had in their lives. Are you still this great person? 

However the Buddha was telling you the true root of self esteem and that is to be as one with the law and the universe. You have complete freewill to entertain this or not and once you realize it. This could never be erased from your consciousness no matter how many people call you an asshole or in some cases do something far worse.

This I believe is why the Buddha said that people who believe in the Lotus Sutra in this evil age are worthy of great respect because it is harder to believe and so it might be lost.

The amazing ability of the Lotus Sutra is that it is written in such a way that anyone, no matter what difficulties they are having can find and relate the teachings to their own life. The Buddha knew people have various characters, difficulties and abilities. This is another reason upholding the Lotus Sutra is difficult because it does not deal in specifics. It is written in a way to encompass everything a human being can experience . If you allow it, it will speak to you personally.

I will try and write about each chapter in the future and give my personal experience of how it effected me because of certain difficulties I was experiencing .

One thing I am sure about is, you will not be able to relate to this sutra if you believe your problems are due to outside reasons. Yes, people or events can be wrong but it is what they mean for your life. You are responsible for how you are feeling and no one else. It is when you are scrupulously honest with yourself that the teachings of the Buddha can help you. After studying for a few years, I now realize that most of the problems from within come from not actually believing in what the Lotus Sutra expounds. This is why it is such a heavy cause to go against it because you are only harming yourself. 

However you can not pretend or force yourself to believe. But no matter how small the cause you can make towards it with an open heart, you will finally start to grow according to your capacity. This is why the Buddha says that, even if you are ill, have various inflictions or problems in this life, as longs you make even a small cause it will eventually lead you to your liberation.