Lotus Sutra 3 of 8
10/19/2008
Report by Chang Jie
 On Sunday, October 19, 2008, Venerable Guo Chuan continued her talk on the Lotus Sutra
as part of the 8-week lecture series. She provided a brief overview of the various
Buddhist schools of thought and the meaning of the sutra’s title.
While the Lotus Sutra is the most commonly known title for Westerners today, due to Burton
Watson's popular translation of the text, the original title of the sutra has a very deep
and subtle meaning. Its various titles include "The Sublime Dharma of the Lotus Sutra",
"The Sublime Dharma of the Flower Garland Sutra", "The Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of
the Fine Dharma" and "The Sublime Dharma of the White Lotus Flower Sutra".
In the title of the Sutra, the word "lotus" is used as a metaphor to describe Buddhist
practice in the world of samsara. Like the lotus plant that grows out of the mud, the
bodhisattva lives in and interacts with the world of samsara. Just as the lotus receives
its nutriments from the muck, the bodhisattva cultivates wisdom from the world. Venerable
advised that as bodhisattvas, when we have difficulty delivering sentient beings, we should
try to avoid frustration and vexation.
The term "sutra" can be translated as a "garland" or "the tying together of different kinds
of flowers". They are considered the very words of the Buddha, unchanging and of very high
value. The purpose of the sutra is to tie together different teachings to keep us from falling
away, getting lost, or running away and to prevent us from falling into bad realms, evil places
and to keep us on the path.
The Lotus Sutra states that the paths of the arhat, the pratyekabuddha, and the bodhisattva all
lead to Buddhahood. This idea was revolutionary in that it countered previously held beliefs
which discriminated against the practices and interpretations of the various paths.
After having experienced the truth of the Lotus Sutra, Venerable invited us to experience the
flavor of the lotus with some lotus tea in the reception area.
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