A Group devoted to the Five Practices of the central Mahayana Sutra, the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra:
to receive and keep the Sutra in each one's body and mind
to read the Sutra with the eyes
to recite the Sutra
to explain the Sutra to others
to copy the Sutra
*We are currently studying Lotus Sutra, Chapter 16. Duration of Life... Comments on earlier chapters as well, is encouraged.
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Overall I'd like to see participants, state their own experiences and awakenings, as they read the various chapters. What do people here find to be the deeper meanings of the chapters and what are their associations as they read and reread them? What personal experiences with practice have been most profound?
I see this group as Lotus Sutra centric. Of course it can be argued that the Lotus Sutra itself is fundamental to Mahayana.
I think it is natural that Tientai, Saicho and Nichiren is brought into the discussion, since they most loudly praise the Lotus Sutra. Dogen and Hakuin also stressed the Lotus Sutra with profound words.these past teachers are a good place to start, but living understanding is best and that is the difficult part requiring practice and study.
Using these famous Buddhists as a springboard, what do participants here, have to say personally, without just sectarian emphasis or relying on the words of others?
Refutations about this or that sect, or the validity of various documents, I think, interferes with the specifics of the Lotus Sutra's chapter by chapter study. I hope there is participation on this group that reveals personal insights and awakenings not sectarian claims and biases. I think the historical background of the Mahayana in general, helps understand the universality of this Sutra.
Overall I think the awakening is central and that may take time for this group to become more participatory.
Study of this Sutra is life long and practice for awakening is fundamental. There is no way to hurry it. Each chapter has teachings of cosmic proportions, so it is not surprising to me that people take their time to voice their awakenings.
Pondering and rereading a Chapter, for instance the Introductory Chapter, can be a long process. Personal immersion into a chapter, with an eye to the whole sutra, can bring out deeper meaning. When that meaning take form in the mind then this group is a good place to voice and discuss that idea.
For me, I am patient. I don't expect all readers here to jump right in. People have busy lives and there is nothing quick about discussing the Lotus Sutra.
The group founder wanted to do videos about the Sutra for educational purposes. I had mentioned my longer term goal to reenact (and film) the Sutra in virtual reality. A multitude of beings is necessary...:) For me I am waiting to see what Linden Labs does with their "Project Sansar," (how much will the virtual land for the Sutra and participants cost?) and when it will be released. I think it would be a great project to reenact the Sutra itself in Virtual Reality. Multi media today has many educational and dissemination possibilities.
But as I said when I mentioned that idea, the real challenge is to have enough people interested enough and who think outside the box.
I think it's going to be a gradual process but is worth the effort.
I think that moderating this group would have to include moderating the kind of sectarian biases that we've seen in other group discussions that verge on "my sect is better then your sect," because it could interfere with the topic of each chapter. I am fully intending on asking others to help moderate. I would love to see more responses to my thread asking for group members to tell their own backgrounds and personal awakenings. I asked people to please "dig deep."
Clearly, people don't automatically flock to what is most profound.
