DESCRIPTION

One of the central themes of the Lotus Sutra is the vyākaraṇa - the prediction of future attainment of anuttarā-saṃyak-saṃbodhi and the becoming of a Buddha. In most Mahāyāna sutras a clear distinction is made between the ‘lesser’ paths of the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha, and the ‘great’ path of the bodhisattva. Karmically speaking, because the arhat of the Hinayana ceases all desire and ends the round of rebirth for themselves in nirvāṇa, they can no longer generate bodhicitta and the will for universal liberation. Therefore, it comes as a great surprise to everyone when, at the end of the poem in Chapter Two, the Buddha appears to give Śāriputra and others predictions of enlightenment. This is confirmed in Chapter Three when the Buddha gives Śāriputra a formal vyākaraṇa:

“In a future world, after countless, boundless, inconceivable kalpas, you will… become a Buddha named Padmaprabha (’Flower Light’) Tathāgata… . Your land will be called Virāga (’Free from Defilement’)… during a kalpa called Mahāratnapratimaṇḍita (’Great Jewel Adornment’).”

In addition to its radical new buddhology, the Lotus Sutra is also known for containing seven famous parables, the first of which is the ‘Parable of the Burning House’ that concludes the chapter. This parable is often summarized as being about a rich man who saves his three children who are trapped inside a burning house ‘playing with toy cars.’ He first tries to tell them about the dangers of the burning house but, when they don’t listen, as an upāya he tells them he has fancy real cars for them outside, for which they come running. There are three kinds of cars, which represent the three ‘vehicles’ - śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva, all contained within the single vehicle of upāya.