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From: kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Superiority of the Lotus Sutra
Message-ID: <1990Dec5.042527.7127@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: 5 Dec 90 04:25:27 GMT
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Organization: NAS Program, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
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Approved: prabhu@amelia.nas.nasa.gov

Here are some quotes on the superiority of the Lotus Sutra.

In the 2nd chapter (Means) of the Lotus Sutra, Buddha says, "Because they
teach that Shakyamuni... first attained enlightenment in this world,
they fail to discard the Buddha's provisional status." They refers to the 
sutras taught before the Lotus Sutra.

In the 11th chapter (Emergence of the Treasure Tower) of the Lotus Sutra,
Buddha says, "The World-Honored One has long expounded his doctrines and
now must reveal the truth." The omens that appeared before and in the
Lotus Sutra are more auspicious than all the other sutras. For instance,
the appearance of the Treasure Tower in the 11th chapter and the 
Bodhisattvas (of Buddha, from the deep past) emerging from the earth
in the 15th chapter.

In the 11th chapter (Emergence of the Treasure Tower) of the Lotus Sutra,
Taho (Many Treasures) Buddha, who pledged in his bodhisattva practice,to  
appear whenever the truth was taught, appeared in the Treasure Tower at
this time, and said, "All that that you have expounded is the truth." You 
here referring to Shakyamuni as that was who he was talking to.

In the 16th chapter (Life Span of the Tathagata) of the Lotus Sutra,
Shakyamuni says, "However, men of devout faith, the time is limitless
and boundless - a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand
nayuta (ten to the 11th or ten to the 7th, depending on the source)
years - since I in fact attained Buddhahood."

In the 23rd chapter (Former Deeds of Bodhisattva Yakuo (Medicine King),
Shakyamuni says, "The Lotus Sutra is like the ocean, which is foremost among
all bodies of water such as rivers and streams; like Mount Sumeru (a 
mountain thought to be at the center if the world in ancient Indian 
tradition) which is foremost among all mountains, or like the Moon, which
is foremost among all the heavenly bodies shining in the night sky."

In the Sutra of Meditation on Bodhisattva Fugen (Universally Worthy) which
was preached after the Lotus Sutra to exhort people to embrace and
propagate the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha says, "Even without
extinguishing their earthly desires or denying the 5 desires...", implying
they will attain enlightenment anyways.

In his "Treatise on the Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom, Bodhisattva
Nagarjuna (2nd cent. A.D.) says, "The Lotus Sutra is like a great 
physician who changes poison into medicine."

How can you continue your slanderous ways?

I have more if that is not enough.



--
   Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
            Respectfully,
  	         Keith Evans		kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov