Thank Buddha It’s Friday (TBIF) English Lecture: The Wisdom of Life in the Lotus Sutra

Ching Pan
July 11, 2024

On June 28th, Fo Guang Shan Hsi Fang Temple hosted a hybrid English lecture titled "The Wisdom of Life in the Lotus Sutra," featuring Venerable Miaoxi from Fo Guang Buddhist Temple Boston. Forty-five attendees from North America, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, and the Philippines participated in person and online to explore the scripture's essence. The lecture emphasized the affirmation "I am Buddha" and the practice of the "Three Acts of Goodness," "Four Givings," and "Five Harmonies."

Venerable began by explaining that the "Lotus Sutra" in Sanskrit is "Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra," meaning "the Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma." This Mahayana Buddhist scripture, delivered by Buddha at Vulture Peak, symbolizes the purity of the Dharma amidst worldly impurities. The most widely circulated Chinese translation by Kumarajiva consists of seven scrolls, twenty-eight chapters, and nearly seventy thousand characters. Kumarajiva vowed that his translation was error-free, a vow affirmed by the preservation of his tongue relic after cremation.

Venerable highlighted that the Lotus Sutra teaches everyone possesses Buddha-nature and unites the three vehicles—śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas—into one path to Buddhahood. This teaching aligns with Venerable Master Hsing Yun's encouragement of self-affirmation. Venerable Miaoxi also discussed the parables of the "Physician’s Son" and the "Magic City" to illustrate Buddha’s skillful means in guiding practice.

Attendees expressed interest in reading the Lotus Sutra, and some shared their reflections. Chintan Modi asked how to purify past mistakes, and Venerable Miaoxi recommended practicing the "Three Acts of Goodness," "Four Givings," and "Five Harmonies" in the present moment. Saiba Varma shared that the Lotus Sutra inspired feelings of hope and compassion.