Roshi continued with Chapter 11 of the Lotus Sutra. Chapter 11 starts with a contradictory pair of statements: those who live by the Lotus Sutra will find that their pain and suffering are relieved, however the Lotus Sutra may also cause more pain and suffering. It’s an interesting question: how can something that eases our…

As he promised last time, Roshi continued our exploration of the Lotus Sutra with a discussion of Shakyamuni’s cousin Ananda, whose role has gone largely underappreciated in the history of Buddhism.  Shakyamuni, in his prediction for Ananda, tells him that the two of them have been on this journey side by side for many lifetimes.…

Roshi spoke about Chapter 8 of the Lotus Sutra, which involves the prophecy of the 500 arhats. As the 500 arhats gather around Shakyamuni, he begins to make predictions about each one, and their futures as Buddhas. He comes to his devoted disciple Purna, to whom he says “you’ve been on the path of spiritual…