10 Inspirational Quotes about the Divine Powers of the Buddha

The word, Divine Power (神力), appears in the Lotus Sutra for more than a 100 times. This shows that Divine Power is an important key word in that Lotus Sutra.

Divine Power, also known as the Psychic Power, is the true nature of the Buddha-Tathagata. The types of divine powers described in the Lotus Sutra range from the ability to know the past, present, and future of his disciples, read the minds of his disciples, radiate golden lights from the bodily pores, lift the assembly into mid-air, save and protect people from various calamities, perform various miraculous feats such as flying in the air, having multiple bodies at the same time, being omniscient, omnipresent, and omnispective etc.

All Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the Universe have inconceivably great divine powers. They tap upon the divine powers to help people in times of adversity as well as to lead them to full enlightenment. For example, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is known to have incredible divine powers to grant wishes and protect people from harm. The Buddha teaches his disciples to always be mindful of the divine powers of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara for protection.

The Lotus Sutra and all the Buddhist sutras are divinely protected by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. The Buddhist sutras are supremely pure and wonderful, free of the exhortation of violence that is often found in the scriptures of Abrahamic religions. Therefore, reading the sutras – the primary sources of Buddhism – is the most reliable way to gain first-hand access to the immeasurable Buddha-wisdom and compassion in your quest toward Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.

Let us take a look at 10 inspirational quotes about the divine powers of the Buddha as found in the Lotus Sutra:

Quote #1: The Buddha has Divine Powers to Bring Benefits to People

The Buddha said to Shariputra: “Very well, very well! It is just as you said. O Shariputra! The same applies to Tathagata. He is the Father of the World who has completely eliminated all fear, anxiety, worry, ignorance, and delusion. Having attained immeasurable wisdom, insight, strength, and fearlessness, he has mastered the divine powers and the power of wisdom, not to mention having achieved perfection in the expedient methods and that of wisdom. Immensely compassionate and merciful, he has always been carrying out charitable works unflaggingly,  bringing benefits and blessings to all living beings. (LS 3: 4.15)

            “Again, if there are those who practice meditation

            and attain divine powers,

            having heard the Law of Emptiness,

            they experience exuberant joy in their hearts

            and emit innumerable rays of lights

            so as to save numerous living beings,

            they are the Large Tree

            that will grow and develop in their own ways. (LS 5: 2.38)

Quote #3:  The Buddha Teaches about the Divine Powers

“The Buddha understood the minds of his children

and the actions of their former lives.

Immeasurable explanations such as causes and conditions,

parables, similes, and metaphors were used

to expound the Six Paramitas

and matters related to the divine powers. (LS 7: 6.17)

Quote #4: Bodhisattvas have the Divine Powers

“These living beings will have great divine powers. For instance, their bodies will glow resplendently and they will be able to fly at will. Firm in aspiration and determination, they will also be diligent and wise. Golden hue and Thirty-Two Features will adorn their bodies. All living beings in this land will only consume two kinds of food: first, Joy of the Law and second, Delight of Meditation. (LS 8: 1.11)

Quote #5: Shakyamuni Buddha Lifts the Assembly to Mid-Air through his Divine Powers

Instantaneously, Shakyamuni Buddha lifted the members of the great assembly high up into the air using his divine powers. In a robust and sonorous voice, he asked the four groups of people: “Who is able to broadly expound the Lotus Sutra in this Saha world? Now is the perfect time to do so. Tathagata will enter nirvana soon and the Buddha wishes to entrust the Lotus Sutra to someone who can propagate it for eternity.” (LS 11: 2.26)

Quote #6: The Divine Powers of the Buddha is Immeasurable

Thereafter, the Buddha said to Superior Actions and the rest of bodhisattvas in the great assembly: “The divine powers of the Buddhas are immeasurably boundless and inconceivable. For the sake of entrusting the Lotus Sutra, even if I were to use my divine powers to describe the merits of the Lotus Sutra for immeasurably boundless hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of asamkhya kalpas, I am unable to finish doing so. In essence, I have revealed and expounded all the teachings of Tathagata, all the effortless divine powers of Tathagata, all the Secret Treasuries of Tathagata, and all the profound historical events of Tathagatas in the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, after the parinirvana of Tathagata, all of you shall single-mindedly practice the Law by accepting, embracing, reading, reciting, explaining, preaching, copying, and transcribing the Lotus Sutra.  (LS 21: 1.8)

Quote #7: Buddhas Will Divinely Protect You 

“Hundreds of thousands of Buddhas will protect and guard you with their divine powers. Among all living beings such as heavenly gods and humans, none can equal to you except Tathagatas. The wisdom and meditation of shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, or even bodhisattvas cannot match yours.’” (LS 23: 2.16)

Quote #8: Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara has Mighty Divine Powers to Help People

“If people who uphold the name Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara should encounter a great fire, the fire could not harm them. This is all due to the mighty divine powers of the bodhisattva. If people who are swept away by a great flood should call upon his name, they will be moved to a shallow place immediately. (LS 25: 1.3)

Quote #9: The Divine Powers Could Purify and Awaken the Aspiration of Enlightenment

“The two sons, out of their compassionate concern for their father, ascended into midair as high as the seven tala trees and performed an array of divine and magical powers of transformation: they walked, stood, sat, and slept in midair; they caused water to appear from their upper bodies and fire to appear from their lower bodies; they caused water to appear in their lower bodies and fire to appear in their upper bodies; they enlarged their bodies to fill the air before contracting to small bodies and then enlarging themselves again; they disappeared in the air and then suddenly reappeared on the ground; and they entered the ground as though entering water and walked on water as though on land. All these divine and magical powers of transformation were displayed to purify the mind of their father, causing him to have faith and understanding. (LS 26: 1.9)

Quote #10: The Divine Powers of Bodhisattva Universal Worthy are At Play for the Widespread Propagation of the Lotus Sutra

“O Bhagavat! If any bodhisattvas were to hear the dharani, they should know that it is due to the divine powers of Universal Worthy. When the Lotus Sutra is spread throughout Jambudvipa, those who are able to accept and embrace the sutra should think in this way: ‘This is all due to the divine powers of Universal Worthy.’ (LS 28: 1.11)