The Lotus Sutra : Lord Buddha's Greatest Gift to the World!

 While serving as Superintendent of Police, Nalanda, I was fortunate enough to visit Rajgir or ancient Rajgriha umpteen number of times. I was simply awestruck by the sheer divinity and the great history of place. Mount Gridhakuta, situated in the valley of Rajgir, stood witness to the  pronouncement of the Lotus Sutra by Lord Buddha more than two and a half millennia ago. It signifies the the turning of the second wheel of 'Dhamma' or law by Sarmana. It's a rare gem and a divine gift of Lord Buddha to mankind. 

The divine Lotus Sutra serves as the defining doctrine of Mahayana sect of Buddhism; it emphasizes that inherent in all living beings is Buddhahood, which can be realized through the practice of the Sutra. One, thus, need not pass through various stages of Bodhisattva to attain Buddhahood.  This simplification made Buddhism very popular indeed. 

The Sutra finds its origin in Sanskrit as Saddharma Pundarika Sutra (the Lotus Flower Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma or Law), and it was later translated by Ven. Kumarajiva into Chinese as  Myoho Renge Kyo, which serves as its Japanese title as well. It represents the highest form of Lord Buddha's teachings. 

It is to practice the Lotus Sutra that Nichiren, the famous monk of the 13th Century, added the word 'Namu' (devotion to) the phrase and strongly believed that chanting of the same ('Namu Myoho Renge Kyo' ) would help one attain Buddhahood ultimately. Many other schools of Buddhism such as that of Zen, mostly practiced in China, Korea and Japan, are deeply influenced by the Sutra teachings- one of the finest gems of world's religious scriptures. 

  

Mt. Gridhakuta in Rajgir is believed to be the place from where Lord Buddha pronounced  the 'Wisdom Sutra' and the 'Heart Sutra' as well.

Atop Mt. Gridhakuta, I stood mesmerized and spell bound as reverberations of the chanting of hundreds of monks, clad in bright colored robes and coming from all across the globe, filled me with devotion. Who we are? A form or mere emptiness? Or, one and the same thing? 

‘Rupam Sunyata Sunyataiva Rupam;

 Rupam Na Prithak Sunyata Sunyataya Na Prithag Rupam;

 Yad Rupam Sa Sunyata,Ya Sunyata Tad Rupam;

 Evam Eva Vedana-Samjna-Samskara-Vijnanam.’

‘Form is Emptiness and the very Emptiness is Form; 

Not different from Form is Emptiness and not different from Emptiness is Form; 

That which is Form is Emptiness, that which is Emptiness is Form; 

The same is true of feelings, perceptions, volitions , and consciousness.’

As as cop, my work is to fight violence every day, every hour, every minute and I am bound and chained by the worldly attachments, yet I felt - I could hear the higher calling:

‘Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi, Svaha’

‘Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone far beyond to the other shore, O awakened, so it be!’

Nishant Tiwary

Author, 'Celebrating Bihar: The Heritage of Nalanda' 

Oxford University Press