The Drama of Cosmic Enlightenment, White Lotus Sutra

Unit 3 – The Saddharma-puṇḍarīka Sūtra, The White Lotus Sūtra
Aim
To get an introductory overview of the Saddharma-puṇḍarīka Sūtra and a sense of how
the story unfolds, its shape and feel.
Preparation
Before you get hold of a copy of the Sūtra, (or even the Abridgement) and start reading,
as a first step I strongly recommend listening to Sangharakshita‘s audio-lecture: The
Drama of Cosmic Enlightenment (link below), in which he introduces the story of the
Sūtra, chapter by chapter (you can also download a transcript of the talk from the same
site). This will come as near as you can get to the original mode of oral transmission by
which the Sūtra passed from generation to generation until it was written down.
As you listen, just listen: imagine the story unfolding in your mind‘s eye, as it were,
visualising the scenes like watching a film. The Sūtra is a kind of transcendental sciencefiction:
at times strange, bizarre, unfamiliar, unintelligible, incomprehensible, surreal.
Stop your rational mind from ticking; don‘t think, or ask yourself what it means, or what
it‘s getting at; don‘t try to work it out. For now just let the Sūtra‘s images work their own
effect; allow yourself to feel and imagine the story unfolding.
You can listen online, or download Tracks 6-14 of the mp3/mp4 audio-file formats at:
http://freebuddhistaudio.com/talks/details?num=96
The total length of this section of the talk is 65 minutes.
Afterwards, reflect on some of the questions below:
1. What impact has the story of the Sūtra as a whole made on you? What kind of a
feeling are you left with? This may not be easily put into words. It may be more of
a sense of ‗something‘, even some kind of meaningful embodied experience:
definite but more physical and kinesthetic than conceptual.
2. Clarify your personal responses to the Sūtra, e.g. do you feel inspired and uplifted,
or alternatively, challenged and disturbed? What are the nature of any doubts or
questions you may have?
3. What do you make of the Sūtra both as a whole and any particular aspects of it
that strongly appeal to you? What is your overall felt sense of its meaning and
purpose?
4. Ask yourself: ‖Are there any implications here for my life: my attitude, my
approach to spiritual life, the choices I make?‖
Triratna Dharma Training Course for Mitras
Year Four – Module 4: The Drama of Cosmic Enlightenment
Parables, Myths and Symbols of the Saddharma-puṇḍarīka Sūtra
http://freebuddhistaudio.com/study
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