The Lotus Sutra is a great source for inspiration. The message of Buddha cuts across sectarian lines. Inclusion and liberation are its message. Prior to the Lotus Sutra, spiritual aspirants and those weary of rebirth sought to escape the wheel of samsara. Nirvana was elsewhere. Extinction was the goal. But the truth is, we are the eternal wheel of life, and there is no cessation of birth and death. We learn that our life has Buddhahood.

Those who take refuge in the Lotus Sutra are never lost. When we read it, write it, recite it, expound it, and uphold it in spirit, we are directly connected to the Mystic Law of the universe. The voice of Buddha speaks directly to each one of us. Daimoku enables our heart to beat as one with the Buddha. We are going to the same inexhaustible source as Nichiren. All are welcome. The Lotus Sutra has many lessons to teach. I find comfort in knowing that all of us, regardless of capability, status, health, defilement, intelligence or achievement, are equal before the Lotus Sutra.

The Buddhas voice is like the bursting thunder of a powerful spring storm. The Dharma rain falls everywhere refreshing life. It washes away our hopelessness, despair, and pain. Each person takes from it the exact portion of enrichment and hope they need to grow. Some are robust. Some have nearly withered. Some refuse any more moisture. Let me share with you some stanzas that have inspired me at crucial moments. Theres hope for all of us - not just empty expectation, but a tangible promise of liberation and enlightenment. All we need to do to manifest the benefits of the Law is honor and revere the Lotus Sutra in practice and spirit. The people of the world are waiting for the Lotus Sutra. We must become scholars in our own right to share this magnificent sutra with all who will listen. Thanks to Nichiren, we know that the essence of the Lotus Sutra is Dharma rain of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

The fifth chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Parable of Medicinal Herbs teaches the all-inclusive mercy and compassion of the Buddha, who is the father of all living beings.

I cause the Dharma rain to rain on all equally
never lax or neglectful.
When all the various living beings
hear my Law,
they receive it according to their power,
dwelling in their different environments. Page 103

The Dharma rain saturates every place in the world and nourishes all beings in perfect measure in accord to their innate capacity. We are directly connected with this Law like the rain inside the storm cloud. To uphold the Lotus Sutra is what counts not sectarian concerns or position. We uphold the Lotus Sutra with our prayer and spirit. One is perfectly connected to the essence of Buddhism wherever they are. Regardless of our personal circumstances, problems, or understanding, upholding the Lotus Sutra to the degree we are capable pleases Shakyamuni and all other Buddhas as stated elsewhere in the sutra. The benefits of upholding the Lotus Sutra are beyond description. Some might be tempted to equate promoting Gakkai activities as the exclusive and proper way of upholding the Lotus Sutra it is only one way. The Emerging From the Earth chapter of the Lotus Sutra speaks of solitary bodhisattvas appearing at the behest of Shakyamuni. Upholding the Lotus Sutra means faith, prayer, and devotion as a human being directly connected to the Buddha. In the end, that connection is all that matters.

The equality of the Buddhas preaching
is like a single flavor,
but depending upon the nature of the living being,
the way in which it is received is uniform,
just as the various plants and trees
each receive the moisture in a different manner. Page 104

Because we are all different, our movement of spreading the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra has many facets, many voices, and countless ideas. At the core, there is nothing that separates us. We are all children of the Buddha dancing in the Dharma rain.