Chapter 27. Former Affairs of King Wonderful Adornment
This chapter recounts the story of King Resplendent’s cultivation. During the era of a Buddha named King Cloud-Thunder-Sound- Constellation-Flower-Wisdom, there lived a king named Resplendent. At that time, he practiced non-Buddhist paths and was not a follower of the Buddha. He had two sons who were believers in the Buddha’s teachings. While King Cloud-Thunder-Sound-Constellation-Flower- Wisdom Buddha was preaching the Lotus Sutra, the two princes wanted their mother, the Queen—who was also a believer—to go hear the Dharma. They also wished for their father to join them, but the King did not believe in Buddhism. Their mother told them, “If you can manifest supernatural transformations before him, your father might look upon you with new eyes. He will see how powerful you are and wonder who your teacher is, which may inspire him to meet your master.”
Thus, supernatural powers are used here to convert a non-believer. This was intended for the ears of the Hinayana disciples. According to the Buddha’s monastic discipline, one is generally forbidden from using supernatural powers to convert sentient beings. This is firstly to prevent beings from becoming attached to the appearance of such powers or seeking the Dharma solely for the sake of acquiring them. Secondly, when Shakyamuni Buddha was teaching in India, there were already many other sects and non-Buddhist traditions whose disciples possessed great powers. Those disciples used their powers to attract followers. Shakyamuni Buddha did not emphasize supernatural powers because other schools considered them the highest achievement, believing that whoever had the greatest powers was the superior teacher.
Shakyamuni Buddha attracted sentient beings through wisdom. He regarded supernatural powers as mere “minor arts” and believed the true contest lay in whose wisdom was perfect. Therefore, in the Hinayana precepts, manifesting powers is restricted. However, the Lotus Sutra begins to speak of the Ultimate Truth, the highest teaching in which all appearances must be thoroughly transcended—and supernatural powers are also an appearance. One should not become attached to these forms. Some very dogmatic practitioners believe that if a master uses powers to gather disciples, or speaks of supernatural transformations and visions, that master is a “demon.” We should not view others with such a narrow perspective. Instead, we must understand the specific conditions and causes that lead an enlightened being to manifest such powers for a particular sentient being.
Out of compassion for their father, the two princes began to manifest supernatural transformations. They had already attained a certain level of power. What did they show? They rose into the air to a height of seven tala trees and performed various wonders: walking, standing, sitting, and lying down in mid-air. They made water gush from the upper parts of their bodies while fire emitted from the lower parts, or fire from the upper and water from the lower. They manifested giant bodies that filled the void and then became tiny, or transformed from small to large. They used their bodies like magical instruments, vanishing in the sky to suddenly reappear on the ground, or disappearing from the ground to reappear in the sky, and even walking upon the surface of water. Seeing these various transformations, their father was amazed and filled with great joy. He had never seen his sons possess such powers. He asked, “Who is your teacher? Whose disciples are you?”
The two sons replied, “Our teacher is King Cloud-Thunder-Sound- Constellation-Flower-Wisdom Buddha. He is currently preaching the Lotus Sutra. Father, would you like to come with us to see him?” The King was delighted and went with them. Upon hearing the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, the father slowly began to change his erroneous views. Originally a practitioner of non-Buddhist paths, he was now drawn in and quickly embraced the faith. Eventually, he, his wife, and his children all renounced their worldly lives to become monastics. He abdicated his throne to his younger brother and took refuge under that Buddha. For eighty-four thousand years—a vast span of time—he practiced the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Sutra with great diligence.
These two sons are the Bodhisattvas Medicine King and Medicine Superior currently present in the Lotus assembly. These two Bodhisattvas had past karmic connections with King Resplendent and, out of compassion and a desire to repay his kindness by saving him, specifically chose to be born into his household as his sons. They manifested supernatural powers to liberate him. Because this method of saving beings was not considered appropriate for Hinayana disciples, the Buddha explained the methods these Bodhisattvas use in the human realm. Great Bodhisattvas manifest in whatever form is necessary to save a being—even if it means becoming that person’s child.
To save a being, one manifests the body of that being, including the use of supernatural powers. The Lotus Sutra tells us that we should not be attached to any appearances—be they male, female, human, non-human, good, evil, or supernatural.