The Lotus Sutra
Chapter 20: Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful
Overview Summary
| Section 1:
Paragraphs 1─18 |
Shakyamuni Buddha narrates the story of Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful, who lived during the age of King of Majestic Voices Buddha. This bodhisattva did not spend his time learning and studying the sutras. Instead, he treated everyone he met with utmost respect by bowing to them and giving praise and verbal affirmation of their ability to attain Buddhahood. Herein lies the basis for his name―Never Disrespectful.
Some people with impure minds rebuked and assaulted Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful. Yet, he continued to bow and give praise to them. As a result of his constant spirit of reverence, he received the teaching of the Lotus Sutra from the sky when he was about to pass away. The encounter with the Lotus Sutra was the key to his swift attainment of Buddhahood.
Those who previously mistreated Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful went through suffering in the state of Hell for a thousand kalpas without ever having the opportunity to encounter a Buddha.
Shakyamuni Buddha reveals that he himself was Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful in his former life. Those who previously treated him contemptuously were now his disciples in the assembly. Again, the Buddha reiterates the power of the Lotus Sutra in attaining Buddhahood and urges his disciples to read, embrace, and expound the Lotus Sutra.
Key Messages The state of Buddhahood is inherent in every individual. By affirming and recognizing the potential of people to attain Buddhahood, one has planted the seed to achieving Supreme Perfect Enlightenment within the depth of his or her life.
The Dharma of Cause and Effect is strict because any sins or negative karma committed will have to be cleansed and purified in the state of Hell. However, the Buddha, being a profoundly compassionate being, will save even those former detractors by leading them in attaining Buddhahood through the Lotus Sutra.
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| Section 2:
Paragraphs 1─15 |
Shakyamuni Buddha speaks in poetic stanzas to summarize the history of Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful.
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Section 1: Paragraphs 1─18
1.1 At that time, the Buddha spoke to Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Gainer of Great Authority: “You should understand that if anyone were to rebuke, curse, defame, or slander the monks, nuns, lay male disciples, and lay female disciples who embrace the Lotus Sutra, he or she would receive grave recompense as a result. As I have taught earlier, those who embrace the Lotus Sutra will receive merits that result in the pure faculties of the eyes, ears, noses, tongues, bodies, and minds.
1.2 “O Gainer of Great Authority! In the remote past, immeasurably boundless and inconceivable asamkhya kalpas ago, there was a Buddha called King of Majestic Voices Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfect in True Wisdom and Enlightenment, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Liberated, the Omniscient, the Almighty, Master Trainer, Teacher of Heavenly Gods and Humans, Buddha-Lord of the World. His kalpa was called Free from Decline and his land was called Great Accomplishment.
1.3 “During that age, King of Majestic Voices Buddha preached the Dharma for heavenly gods, humans, and asuras. For those who sought to become shravakas, he expounded the teaching of achieving nirvana—the Four Noble Truths—so as to deliver them from birth, old age, illness, and death. For those who sought to become pratyekabuddhas, he expounded the teaching of the Twelve-linked Chain of Causation. For bodhisattvas who aspired for Supreme Perfect Enlightenment, he expounded the teaching of the Six Paramitas so as to guide them to perceive the ultimate Buddha-wisdom.
1.4 “O Gainer of Great Authority! This King of Majestic Voices Buddha had a lifespan of forty trillion nayuta of Ganges’s sands of kalpas. His True Dharma continued in the world for as many dust particles as are in one Jambudvipa. His Pseudo Dharma continued for as many dust particles as are in the four continents. The Buddha entered parinirvana after he had completed bestowing great benefits to living beings.
1.5 “After the end of his True Dharma and Pseudo Dharma, another Buddha appeared in the same land. His name was also King of Majestic Voices Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfect in True Wisdom and Enlightenment, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Liberated, the Omniscient, the Almighty, Master Trainer, Teacher of Heavenly Gods and Humans, Buddha-Lord of the World. In this way, the same process continued, one after another, until the appearance of two trillion Buddhas with identical names had passed.
1.6 “After the parinirvana of the first King of Majestic Voices Tathagata, after the extinction of the True Dharma, during the period of his Pseudo Dharma, there were many overbearingly arrogant monks who commanded great authority and power. During that time, there was a bodhisattva monk called Never Disrespectful. O Gainer of Great Authority! Do you know the reason for the name Never Disrespectful?
1.7 “Whoever this monk encountered—be they monks, nuns, lay male disciples, or lay female disciples—he would bow and praise all of them in this way: ‘I have deep reverence for you and I will never treat you with disrespect, contempt, or arrogance. Why? Because all of you are practicing the bodhisattva way and will surely become Buddhas!’
1.8 “This monk did not spend his time reading or reciting the sutras. Instead, he simply bowed to everyone he met. If he saw any of the four groups of people in a distance, he would deliberately approach them, make an obeisance to them, and praise them in this way: ‘I will never treat you with disrespect for all of you will surely become Buddhas!’
1.9 “Among the four groups of people, some were indignant, especially those with impure minds. They reprimanded him furiously: ‘This imbecile monk! Where does he come from? He keeps saying he dares not disrespect us and predicts that we will become Buddhas! We do not need such false predictions!’
1.10 “For many years, he continued as such and was always being upbraided. He never, however, let anger get the better of him. Whenever he uttered the same phrase, ‘You will surely become Buddhas!’ some people would take sticks of wood, tiles, or stones to pelt at him. To escape the beating, he would run away but he continued shouting at the top of his voice: ‘I will never treat you with disrespect for all of you will surely become Buddhas!’ By virtue of him repeating the same phrase, arrogant monks, nuns, lay male disciples, and lay female disciples called him Never Disrespectful.
1.11 “When this monk was about to pass on, he heard in the sky twenty thousands of millions of billions of stanzas of the Lotus Sutra previously expounded by King of Majestic Voices Buddha. Fully able to embrace the Lotus Sutra, he immediately received purity of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Once he obtained purification of the six senses, his lifespan increased to two hundred trillion nayuta years, thus enabling him to expound the Lotus Sutra far and wide.
1.12 “Meanwhile, when the four groups—arrogant monks, nuns, lay male disciples, and lay female disciples—who had previously despised him and called him Never Disrespectful saw him attaining great divine powers, the power to expound persuasively and joyously, and the power of mighty benevolence and tranquility, all of them believed his teachings and were willing to become his followers faithfully. This bodhisattva was able to transform thousands of millions of billions of multitudes and lead them to attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.
1.13 “After the end of his life, he was able to meet two hundred billion Buddhas who bore the identical name of Sun Moon Lantern Bright. He expounded the Lotus Sutra in the midst of their Dharma. As a result of these causes and conditions, he was able to meet two hundred billion Buddhas with the identical name of Lantern King of Cloud Freedom. In the midst of their Dharma, not only did he accept, embrace, read, and recite the Lotus Sutra, he also expounded the Lotus Sutra for the four groups. By virtue of these actions, he was able to attain perfection of his ordinary eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind to preach the Dharma courageously and fearlessly for the four groups.
1.14 “O Gainer of Great Authority! This Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Never Disrespectful had given offerings to a vast number of Buddhas in this way—treating them with reverence, respect, and praise. Because of the virtuous roots cultivated, he was able to meet thousands of millions of billions of Buddhas and expounded the Lotus Sutra in the midst of the Buddha-Dharma for them. Before long, he accomplished the merits to become a Buddha successfully.
1.15 “O Gainer of Great Authority! Who do you think this Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful was at that time? This person is none other than I myself! In my previous lifetime, had I not accepted, embraced, read, recited, and expounded the Lotus Sutra for others, I would never have been able to attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment so quickly. Because I accepted, embraced, read, recited, and expounded the Lotus Sutra for others in the presence of the former Buddhas, I was able to quickly attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.
1.16 “O Gainer of Great Authority! As for the four groups at that time—monks, nuns, lay male disciples, and lay female disciples—because of their anger of treating me with contempt and disparagement, they were not able to encounter a Buddha, nor did they hear the Dharma or meet the community of monks for twenty billion kalpas. For a thousand kalpas, they went through great suffering in the Avichi hell. As soon as they had finished purifying their offenses, they were able to meet Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful, who led them in attaining Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.
1.17 “O Gainer of Great Authority! Who do you think were these four groups of people who always treated the bodhisattva with contempt and despise at that time? All of them are now in this assembly—Bhadrapala and his group of five hundred bodhisattvas, Lion Moon and her group of five hundred nuns, Thinking of Buddha and his five hundred lay male disciples—and they will never regress in their path of attaining Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.
1.18 “O Gainer of Great Authority! You should understand that the Lotus Sutra has abundantly benefited bodhisattvas-mahasattvas because of its ability of leading them to attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment. In view of this, after the parinirvana of Tathagata, bodhisattvas-mahasattvas should always accept, embrace, read, recite, explain, preach, copy, and transcribe the Lotus Sutra.”
Thereupon, the Lord of the World, wishing to reiterate his meaning, proclaimed in stanzas:
Section 2: Paragraphs 1─15
2.1 “In the past there was a Buddha
called King of Majestic Voices.
With immeasurable divine powers and wisdom,
he was able to lead all living beings.
Heavenly gods, humans, and dragons
gave offerings to worship him.
2.2 “After the parinirvana of the Buddha,
when the Dharma was about to perish,
there was a bodhisattva
called Never Disrespectful.
2.3 “The four groups at that time
were obsessed with the various teachings.
Whenever Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful
approached them,
he would speak these words:
‘I will never treat you with disrespect
for all of you are practicing the bodhisattva way
and will surely become Buddhas!’
2.4 “Upon hearing that,
these people slighted, disparaged, rebuked, and slandered him.
Yet, Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful
was able to endure.
2.5 “When his offenses were purified,
on the verge of his death,
he was able to hear the Lotus Sutra
and attained purification of the six senses.
2.6 “Because of the divine powers,
his lifespan was prolonged,
which allowed him to continue
expounding the Lotus Sutra widely.
2.7 “The former groups who despised him
were all able to learn from this bodhisattva
who taught, transformed, and led them
to accomplish the Buddha-Way.
2.8 “When the lifespan of Never Disrespectful came to an end,
he was able to meet innumerable Buddhas.
By virtue of his preaching of the Lotus Sutra,
he received immeasurable blessings and good fortune.
2.9 “As he accumulated merits progressively,
he was able to quickly attain Buddhahood.
Never Disrespectful at that time
was none other than I myself!
2.10 “The four groups at that time
who were obsessed with the various teachings,
heard Never Disrespectful say:
‘All of you will surely become Buddhas!’
2.11 “Because of these causes and conditions,
he was able to encounter countless Buddhas.
The five hundred bodhisattvas
in the great assembly,
and the four groups
of men and women of pure faith,
were now in front of me,
listening to the Dharma.
2.12 “In my previous existence,
I encouraged these people
to hear and accept the Lotus Sutra,
the first and foremost Dharma,
by opening, showing, and teaching them,
so as to lead them to abide in nirvana.
Lifetime after lifetime,
they accepted and embraced the Lotus Sutra.
2.13 “Only once in an inconceivable billions of kalpa,
will you be able to hear the Lotus Sutra.
Only once in an inconceivable billions of kalpa,
will the Buddhas expound the Lotus Sutra.
2.14 “Hence, O disciples!
When you hear the Lotus Sutra,
after the parinirvana of the Buddha,
have no doubts and perplexities.
2.15 “Instead, you should single-mindedly
propagate the Lotus Sutra far and wide.
Then, lifetime after lifetime,
you will be able to encounter Buddhas
to quickly accomplish the Buddha-Way.”
Action #1: Be a Patron of Lotus Happiness
Action #2: Buy the Book at the Amazon
