Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!spool.mu.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!emory!hubcap!gatech!prism!mailer.cc.fsu.edu!sun13!ssd.kodak.com From: tilley@ssd.kodak.com (David Tilley) Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern Subject: Re: On Omens Message-ID: <1991Feb19.174322.28506@ssd.kodak.com> Date: 19 Feb 91 17:43:22 GMT References: Sender: news@sun13.scri.fsu.edu Organization: Eastman Kodak Lines: 32 Approved: mayne@nu.cs.fsu.edu In article kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans) writes: >The omens that occurred before Shakyamuni Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra >were: >..... > >What other sutra has these kinds of omens? (hint: none) > >This is all very difficult to understand. The key to understanding the >Lotus Sutra is recognizing that all this came from Shakyamuni's own life, >demonstrating the fullness of human life. As much as I have great respect for the Lotus Sutra, let me say that it is not because I am particularly impressed by omens. What Sutras have the parting of the Red Sea? (hint: none). How about living in the belly of a whale? How about a wooden puppet becomming a living boy? :-) Just because a book says something happened does not make the book the only book worth paying attention to. Almost every Sutra that I have read goes on at some length about the merit of reading the sutra. About why this is the best sutra. etc. The Buddha did not write this stuff down. People did. People tend to embelish. Even me :-) dave