Understanding the Literary Style of the Lotus Sutra

  The Lotus Sutra has been called ‘the supreme teaching among the Buddhist teachings’ or ‘The King of Sutras. However, when one who is not familiar with the writing style of the Lotus Sutra reads it, he or she may feel ‘what is the meaning of the descriptions’ or ‘the stories in the Sutra are fantastic and unrealistic’ and then may think, what is so thankful about these descriptions? 

  Why do people who read the Sutra for the first time hold such impressions? It may be because they begin to read the Lotus Sutra thinking it is an academic book teaching profound philosophical principles. But in the Sutra, there are many unrealistic and fanciful descriptions such as; a ray of light emitted from the white curls between the eyebrows of the Buddha shines eighteen thousand worlds to the east; and, Buddhas come flying in from other worlds and a huge pagoda decorated with various jewels appears in the air like in a non-gravitational state, and many Bodhisattvas appear from the cracks in the earth. 

  Among the Buddhist sutras, there are many sutras which have teachings written in a logical and theoretical manner. But why were descriptions described in a logical and scientific manner avoided in the Lotus Sutra, but described in a poetic and fantasy fashion like a huge magnificent opera? 

  What the Buddha wanted to teach us in the Lotus Sutra, in the first place, is the state of enlightenment and what the world called the Primordial Buddha Land is. However, the state of enlightenment is the state of a different level known to us and the Primordial Buddha Land is of a different dimensional world from our common knowledge. 

  So, the state of enlightenment and the world of the Primordial Buddha Land are difficult to explain and describe in words or pictures. The Buddha, himself, was reluctant to explain in words what enlightenment is, what the Buddha Land is. However, if this was not put in words, how could the Buddha explain the state of enlightenment and the world of the Primordial Buddha Land and make people realize their existence. To overcome this obstacle, magnificent and special ways of description were uses so that people would use their five senses and imagination to try to understand the message of the Buddha through the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and make people realize the importance of holding pure faith. 

  Miyazawa Kenji (1896-1933) was a famous Japanese poet and fairytale writer. He left one of his experiences that he had when he was a senior high school student. He read the Lotus Sutra and was deeply impressed moved. 

  A famous Japanese novelist, Shiba Ryotaro wrote his impression of the Lotus Sutra, ‘I heard the Lotus Sutra is a great Buddhist Sutra, but I do not understand why it is evaluated highly. I felt it was just an absurd and impossible story.’ Why were the opinions and impressions of the two writers divided? The answer is Miyazawa Kenji read the Lotus Sutra from the side of the right brain, on the other hand, Shiba Ryotaro read it from the side of the left brain. 

 

 

The human brain is divided into two parts. The left brain is referred to as the brain of language, and the right brain is referred to as the brain of sensitivity. 

  Nichiren Shonin stated that, ‘In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha said that keeping the precepts and engaging in the difficult practices are not always the right path to attain enlightenment. If it is difficult to cultivate wisdom through one’s own ability, avoid the ways of cultivating wisdom and change to the path of pure faith. After all, holding pure faith is the basic path to attain enlightenment of Buddhahood. 

  Pure faith is the treasure chest of enlightenment called Ichinen Sanzen and the gate to enter the world of enlightenment. Even for the buddhas of the ten directions of the past, present and future, faith is the treasure chest and the gate to enlightenment.

 

  Using the left brain is useful to understand the deep meaning of HBS doctrine but when we chant the Odaimoku, we should shift the function of the brain from the left brain (the brain of logic) to the right brain (the brain of sensitivity – just pure faith). When we chant the Odaimoku just holding the pure and joyful feeling which arises in the right brain, we can respond with the souls of the Buddha and bodhisattvas in the Gohonzon.