Wednesday, October 8, 2025

The Contemplation Sutra was taught in the same time with the Lotus Sutra (in reference to sections 1 and section 33)


“Then the World-honored One returned to Vulture Peak through the air. There Ananda fully explained to the assembly what had happened. Innumerable humans, devas, nagas, yakṣas, and all other beings greatly rejoiced to hear the Buddha’s teaching. Having worshiped the World-honored One, they departed.”[1]
 
The last section reminds us of the beginning of the Contemplation Sutra where we are told that Shakyamuni was already teaching another sutra on Vulture Peak when Vaidehi asked for His help:
 
“Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying on Vulture Peak in Rajagṛha with a great assembly of twelve hundred and fifty monks. He was also accompanied by thirty-two thousand Bodhisattvas led by Manjusri, the Dharma Prince.”[2]
 
After these first lines, we are told about the events related with Ajatasatru, king Bimbisara and Queen Vaidehi who, while she was confined in the palace by her son, turned her attention to the direction of Vulture Peak:
 “Facing Vulture Peak, she worshiped the Buddha from afar and said, ‘O Tathagata, World-honored One, you used to send Ananda to comfort me. Now I am in deep sorrow and distress. Since there is no way of my coming to look upon your august countenance, World-honored One, I pray you send Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana and Venerable Ananda here to see me.’
When she had said these words, tears of sorrow streamed down her cheeks like rain. Then she bowed toward the Buddha in the distance”.
 
Shakyamuni Buddha knew her thoughts, interrupted His discourse and came to her. This is how the Contemplation Sutra was taught:
 
“Even before she raised her head, the World-honored One, who was then staying on Vulture Peak, knew Vaidehi’s thoughts and immediately ordered Mahamaudgalyayana and Ananda to go to her through the air; He himself disappeared from the mountain and reappeared in the inner chamber of the royal palace.”[3]
 
Then, when the discourse ended, Shakyamuni returned to the Vulture Peak where Ananda told the assembly of humans and nonhuman beings gathered there what happened. So, the Contemplation Sutra was presented again on Vulture Peak.
Rennyo Shonin explained that the sutra Shakyamuni was teaching when Vaidehi prayed to Him was the Lotus Sutra[4] which means that both sutras were actually taught by Shakyamuni in the same time,
 
“Accordingly, long ago, when Shakyamuni expounded the Lotus Sutra, the wondrous text of the One Vehicle, on Mount Gṛdhrakuṭa (Vulture Peak), Devadatta provoked Ajatasatru to acts of treachery; Shakyamuni then led Vaidehi to aspire to the Land of Serene Sustenance (the Pure Land of Amida Buddha). Because Shakyamuni withdrew from the assembly gathered at Mount Gṛdhrakuṭa (Vulture Peak) where He was expounding the Lotus Sutra, descended to the royal palace, and graciously set forth the Pure Land teaching for Vaidehi’s sake, Amida’s Primal Vow has flourished to this day. This is why we say that the teachings of the Lotus and the Nembutsu were given at the same time.
 
In other words, it is clear that Shakyamuni used the five grave offenses in which Vaidehi, Devadatta, and Ajatasatru were involved as compassionate means to cause women and those who have committed the five grave offenses in the last Dharma age to aspire to birth in the Land of Serene Sustenance (the Pure Land of Amida); He assured us that even such people would unfailingly attain birth in the Land of Serene Sustenance if they took refuge in the inconceivable Primal Vow. This you should know.”[5]

to be continued 

(source of the image in the upper left https://erichuntington.org/?da_image=taima-mandala-denver) 







[1] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.100
[2] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Centre for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.75
[3] The Three Pure Land Sutras - A Study and Translation from Chinese by Hisao Inagaki in collaboration with Harold Stewart, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Centre for Buddhist Translation and Research, Kyoto, 2003, p.76
[4] The Lotus Sutra (Saddharmapuṇḍarika Sutra) is one of the most popular and influential Mahayana sutras in China and Japan and the fundamental text of the Tendai and Nichiren schools. There are several Chinese translations, of which the version rendered by Kumarajiva in 406 became the most popular. Cf Rennyo Shonin Ofumi, BDK English Tripitaka 105-II, 106-I, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 1996, Berkeley USA.
[5] Rennyo Shonin Ofumi IV-3, BDK English Tripitaka 105-II, 106-I, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 1996, Berkeley USA, p.104-105






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