The Lotus Sutra Quotes

“Needless to say, boundless will be the merits Of the person who hears this sūtra with all his heart, And expounds its meanings, And acts according to its teachings.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“Now I will tell you clearly. The merits of the person who gave all those pleasing things to the living beings of the six regions of four hundred billion asaṃkhya worlds, and caused them to attain Arhatship are less than the merits of the fiftieth person who rejoices at hearing even a gāthā of this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. The merits of the former person are less than a hundredth or a thousandth of the merits of the latter person, or less than the merits of the latter person divided by a hundred thousand billion.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“Suppose a bhikṣu, a bhikṣuṇī, an upāsaka, an upāsikā, or some other wise person, whether young or old, rejoices at hearing this sūtra in a congregation after my extinction. After leaving the congregation, he or she goes to some other place, for instance, to a monastery, a retired place, a city, a street, a town, or a village. There he or she expounds this sūtra, as he or she has heard it, to his or her father, mother, relative, friend or acquaintance as far as he or she can.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“Erect a stūpa in the place Where he expounded even a gāthā of this sūtra While he was standing, Walking, sitting or reclining! Adorn the stūpa beautifully, And make various offerings to it! He is my son. I will accept his place as mine. I will be there. I will walk, sit or recline there.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“You should think “He will go to the place of enlightenment before long. He will be free from āsravas and free from causality. He will benefit all gods and men.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“Therefore, I say, 'Anyone who keeps, reads or recites this sūtra, expounds it to others, copies it, causes others to copy it, or makes offerings to a copy of it after my extinction, need not build a stūpa or a monastery, or make offerings to the Saṃgha.’ Needless to say, anyone who not only keeps this sūtra but also gives alms, observes the precepts, practices patience, makes endeavors, concentrates his mind, and seeks wisdom, will be able to obtain the most excellent and innumerable merits. His merits will be as limitless as the sky is in the east, west, south, north, the four intermediate quarters, the zenith, and the nadir. These innumerable merits of his will help him obtain the knowledge of the equality and differences of all things.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“The good men or women who keep, read, recite, expound and copy even a phrase of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, and offer flowers, incense, necklaces, incense powder, incense applicable to the skin, incense to burn, canopies, banners, streamers, garments and music to a copy of this sūtra, or just join their hands together respectfully towards it, should be respected by all the people of the world. All the people of the world should make the same offerings to them as they do to me. Know this! These good men or women are great Bodhisattvas. They should be considered to have appeared in this world by their vow to expound the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma out of their compassion towards all living beings, although they already attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi [in their previous existence]. Needless”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“Listen to me attentively! I will tell you about my hidden core and supernatural powers. The gods, men and asuras in the world think that I, Śākyamuni Buddha, left the palace of the Śākyas, sat at the place of enlightenment not far from the City of Gayā, and attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi [forty and odd years ago]. To tell the truth, good men, it is many hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas of kalpas since I became the Buddha.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“As I said before, it is very long since I became the Buddha. The duration of my life is innumerable, asaṃkhya kalpas. I am always here. I shall never pass away.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“All that I say is true, not false, because I see the triple world as it is. I see that the triple world is the world in which the living beings have neither birth nor death, that is to say, do not appear or disappear, that it is the world in which I do not appear or from which I do not disappear, that it is not real or unreal, and that it is not as it seems or as it does not seem. I do not see the triple world in the same way as [the living beings of] the triple world do. I see all this clearly and infallibly.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“All this time I have been living in this Sahā-World, and teaching [the living beings of this world] by expounding the Dharma to them. I also have been leading and benefiting the living beings of one hundred thousand billion nayuta asaṃkhya worlds outside this world.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“Medicine-King! How should the good men or women who live after my extinction expound this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma to the four kinds of devotees when they wish to? They should enter the room of the Tathāgata, wear the robe of the Tathāgata, sit on the seat of the Tathāgata, and then expound this sūtra to the four kinds of devotees. To enter the room of the Tathāgata means to have great compassion towards all living beings. To wear the robe of the Tathāgata means to be gentle and patient. To sit on the seat of the Tathāgata means to see the voidness of all things. They should do these [three] things and then without indolence expound this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma to Bodhisattvas and the four kinds of devotees.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“Needless to say, so will be the merits of the person Who keeps this sūtra, gives alms, observes the precepts, Practices patience, prefers dhyāna-concentrations, And does not get angry or speak ill of others.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“Your sons born from your mouth are looking up at you With their hands joined together, entreating: “With your wonderful voice, Explain all this as it really is!”   As many gods and dragons As there are sands in the River Ganges, And the eighty thousand Bodhisattvas Who are seeking Buddhahood, And the wheel-turning-holy-kings Of billions of worlds Are joining their hands together respectfully, Wishing to hear the Perfect Way.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“Śāriputra! The Tathāgatas divide [the Dharma] into various teachings, and expound those teachings to all living beings so skillfully and with such gentle voices that living beings are delighted. Śāriputra! In short, the Buddhas attained the innumerable teachings which you have never heard before.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“The last God of Gods Was called Burning-Light Buddha. As the leader of seers, He saved innumerable living beings.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma

“The Saintly Masters, the Lion-like Ones, Who are expounding The most wonderful sūtra With their pure and gentle voices, And teaching Many billions of Bodhisattvas. The brahma voices of the Buddhas Are deep and wonderful, Causing people to wish to hear them.”
― Shinkyo Warner, The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma