Tag Archives: Sakyamuni Buddha

Chapters 13-21 addresses the spiritual careers of bodhisattvas accompanied with prescriptions for right conduct and proper ways in which to reverence the Lotus Sutra. Chapter 16 is unique on its own since it focuses on the vast spiritual career of Śākyamuni, one that stretches across endless eons. It’s in this chapter that he declares that his supreme awakening beneath the Bodhi-Tree during this present life-cycle was not the first such instance, as the original occasion took place inconceivable kalpas ago. Ever since that time he has been present in our saha-world teaching the Buddhadharma; what’s even more remarkable in all of this is that such passages infer that he is still present even now, not only in our own particular realm but in countless others as well, in his Sambhogakāyic-form. In light of this it’s apparent that his Supreme Teaching Career will be a Spiritually-Perpetual One, stating, “I abide forever with you without entering parinirvana.” He also points out that his awakening and apparent entry into nirvana was essentially all skillful means at his disposal in order to encourage an awakening in the Mind of all living beings who hunger for the Buddhadharma. Take a moment and absorb this spiritual-realization. Śākyamuni’s Spirit is with us even now, in Sambhogakāyic-form. This would be equivalent in Western Spirituality of Jesus still being present to devotees in the mode of the Holy Spirit. Hence, Śākyamuni is still present both in Sambhogakāyic and in Dharmakāyic (Absolute Dharma-Body of Perfect Suchness) Realizations. Of course, deluded people (those still not awakened to their own Buddha-nature) will not be aware of his ever-abiding presence. In order to counteract this, the Blessed One supplied the following parable as the prescription against the disease of avidya: read more