Shanti Dharma Stupa
Since ancient times, the Lotus Sutra has been called “The King of Sutras” or “The Essence of the Buddha’s Teachings”. It is a Buddhist scripture widely revered and studied in all Buddhist schools, especially within Japanese, Chinese, and Tibetan traditions.
Shakyamuni Buddha, historically born in Nepal, attained enlightenment at the age of thirty-five and preached many teachings for approximately fifty years until his physical passing. In his last eight years, he preached the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. In this teaching, he revealed the full content of his enlightenment.
In this final Sutra, he declares that the vast number of teachings he preached since his enlightenment were provisional paths — a kind of preparation for the true intention of the Buddha — revealed especially in the First Eight Chapters of the Primordial Path of the Lotus Sutra.
All Sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra are considered skillful means that the Buddha used to guide beings, according to their capacity, toward a greater teaching suitable for the beings who would live two thousand years after his physical passing.
Morning prayer session
The Lotus Sutra consists of twenty-eight chapters. The first fourteen chapters are called Shakumon (provisional chapters), and the last fourteen are called Honmon (primordial chapters).
The word Shaku in Shakumon literally means “shadow” or “steps,” and Hon in Honmon means “true” or “genuine.” Mon means “the gate to the state of Buddhahood” (teachings to attain Buddhahood). Thus, the Lotus Sutra is the true intention and genuine teaching of the Buddha, in contrast to the Sutras preached before it, which are considered Shakumon teachings — provisional, like a shadow, compared to the Honmon teachings.
The Lotus Sutra is the teaching that proclaims enlightenment for all, guiding the cultivation of the latent Buddha seed within all beings. This seed is awakened through the recitation of the essence of the Lotus Sutra — NAMUMYOUHOURENGUEKYOU — regarded as the cause, essence, and seed of enlightenment, which was entrusted to Jogyo Bosatsu