The Uniqueness of the Lotus Sutra in Mahayana Buddhism
In various letters of his writings, Nichiren outlines the unique and revolutionary teachings contained in the Lotus Sutra, and which makes it a class of its own in Mahayana Buddhism:
A Comparison of the Lotus and Other Sutras
The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra
This wealth of scholastic background explains the reason why classification of Buddhist sutras - according to Nichiren - was simplified into : Pre-Lotus sutras (both Theravada and Mahayana) - and the Lotus, as the final and complete teaching of Buddhism.
Some of the differences between Pre-Lotus & Lotus are:
• Pre-Lotus teaching were for “Limited recipients” - Lotus for “all Humanity”
In Pre-Lotus teachings the Buddha taught disciples according to their capacity answering their particular questions. Pre-Lotus were dedicated to specific groups, not for all people of society.
Nichiren clarified that “The Lotus Sutra is entirely different. It was preached equally for all [people]”. https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/wnd-1/Content/148
The Lotus Sutra starts by the Buddha speaking of his own accord without being directly asked by his disciples. This signifies that the Lotus Sutra represents the “Buddha’s own mind”, while the Pre-Lotus were answers to specific questions from his disciples.
• Abolishing all limitations on attaining Buddhahood:
Pre-Lotus Mahayana teachings set imitations on attaining Buddhahood. The three categories of women, evil doers and self-realisation (sravaka and pratyekabuddha) were not included in attainment of Buddhahood. Those limitations were abolished by the Buddha in the Lotus Sutra, presenting the possibility for any person to reveal own Buddhanature regardless of any category.
• Uniting Buddhism
Theravada and Mahayana teach the “Three Vehicles” (of practice) being Sravaka (voice-hearers), Pratyakabuddha (self-centred realisation) and Bodhisattva (gradual practice). The Lotus Sutra offers an umbrella-teaching for the Theravada and Mahayana followers alike to consider their vehicle of practice as an expedient means for the Buddha-vehicle. This is called Replacement of the Three Vehicles by the “One Vehicle” (of Buddhahood of the Lotus Sutra). Doctrinal disagreements between different Buddhist traditions become dissolved through the explanation of the Lotus Sutra, that the Buddha preached Theravada and Mahayana as “expedient means”, to prepare disciples and lead them gradually to the final One Vehicle of the Lotus Sutra.
• Abolishing all categories of Discrimination among the people
Through parables and metaphors, the Lotus introduced the possibility for attaining enlightenment by classes which were discriminated at in society, based on gender, social position, age, education, appearance etc… and the metaphor of the Dragon’s King Daughter is a cornerstone in this Lotus declaration of equality of all people in the capacity for enjoying and revealing their Buddhanature. In this regard the Lotus can be regarded as the oldest document against discrimination in human society.
• Subduing Evil
None of pre-Lotus teachings would allow evil people to attain Buddhahood. On the contrary, the Lotus teaches that evil karma is not an obstacle before enlightenment. The only teaching that defeats evil is the teaching that converts evil doers into good people.
“The enlightenment of evil people, represented by Devadatta, ….illustrate the universal possibility of Buddhahood taught for the first time in the Lotus Sutra”. https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/dic/Content/D/34
In fact, it is this great power to subdue evil through the Lotus Dharma that Nichiren regards the Lotus as of superior capacity:
“In Buddhism, that teaching is judged supreme that enables all people,
whether good or evil, to become Buddhas”. https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/wnd-1/Content/15
• Buddhahood attained in this lifetime, not after death
The possibility of attaining enlightenment in this lifetime was taught only by the Lotus sutra:
“Therefore, it is unnecessary for us to practice for countless eons to attain Buddhahood. We can become Buddhas in the course of this existence; we do not have to practice lifetime after lifetime without reaching our goal. Again, no matter how heavy our burden of karma, through tapping our inner life force, we can revolutionize our existence”.
• The Ten Worlds of Life are Shared in a Mutual Possession
Pre-Lotus teachings regard the spectrum of the Ten Worlds of Mind as separate. The Lotus teaches that the Buddha is a common mortal (ordinary person) and a common mortal is a Buddha and that - in any state of life - the Buddhanature can be revealed. No matter what situation we are in, sad, depressed, angry, tranquil, etc… we can tune to (or fuse to) our inherent Buddhanature transforming all states into enlightenment.
• The Inseparability of Cause and Effect (No Gradual Practice required).
The Lotus metaphor of having the seeds (Causes) together with the full flower (Effect) extends to indicate the state of human beings, teaching that Bodhisattva state (Cause) and Buddha (Effect) - are not separate.
“Those who practice the Lotus Sutra are pursuing through this single act of devotion the mind that is endowed with all manner of fortunate results. These are present simultaneously and are not acquired gradually over a long period of time.
This is like the blossom of the lotus that, when it opens, already possesses a large number of seeds. Hence such persons are called the people of the one vehicle". https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/wnd-1/Content/47
• The concept of Bodhisattva-Buddha
Various Mahayana sutras teach the Bodhisattva practice as a gradual way requiring many lifetimes to complete. Some traditions place 52 stages between Bodhisattva and Buddha states. The Lotus, based on the Mutual Possession of the states of life, introduces the unique concept of Bodhisattva-Buddha, or the Bodhisattva of the Earth who is one with the state of Buddhahood within.
The concept of Bodhisattva-Buddha is unique to the Lotus teachings and it does not exist in any other Mahayana sutra.
The revolutionary state of “Bodhisattva-Buddha” suggests that a Buddha can appear as an ordinary person acting at the stage of Bodhisattva. Nichiren himself identified himself in this way: as Bodhisattva Jogyo. The word “Jogyo” means the “True Self of the Buddha”. Thus, a Bodhisattva of Lotus teachings has an inner identity, being the True Self of Buddha, like Nichiren:
“[Nichiren’s] true identity is that of a Buddha exerting himself at the initial stage of Buddhist practice, embodying the oneness of cause and effect.
Such a figure had never before been known in the history of Buddhism”. (Source: The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra vol.5 p.187)
• Eternity of Life, The Cosmic State of Buddhahood
The Buddha of the Lotus sutra dramatically differs from his traditional image of Pre-Lotus teachings showing him as a mere wise person with followers around him. The LifeSpan chapter of the lotus presents an identity of the Buddha as having an eternal state, a state of Cosmic Buddhahood. Shakyamuni of the Lotus Sutra represents the life of the enlightened universe, whose lifespan extends throughout Time without beginning or end.
The historical Buddha Shakyamuni perfectly manifested this state of Cosmic Buddhahood. and so can anyone who follows the cause of his fusion (Namu) to the Universal Law. (MyohoRengeKyo).
The eternal state of life of Enlightenment is Nam-MyohoRengeKyo:
“The very life of the universe that continues to function ceaselessly is referred to by the term: ‘time without beginning’”. The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra 5 (page 165)
“The Original Buddha whose life is without beginning or end is then Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo-Thus-Come-One”. (p164)