Once upon a time, there was a monk who recited the Lotus Sutra every day. From the sutra, he learned that the merits of writing this sutra were immeasurable. So, he wrote the entire Lotus Sutra respectfully and meticulously. It was winter when he finished writing this sutra. Just when he put the pen in the water to soak, an ice lotus suddenly appeared in the water. This ice lotus grew taller and bigger. So, he gave himself the name Ice Lotus Monk, which was seen by many people at the time.
There is another Koan that also proves the wonder of Lotus Sutra.
Once upon a time there was a monk who played a vital role and participated in politics in the imperial court.
Every time he went from the temple to the palace, he did not ride in a sedan chair, but on horseback. Whenever he sat on the horse, he recited the first volume of the Lotus Sutra, and he had just finished reciting the first volume when he arrived at the palace. This happened every day, but one day his horse suddenly died; and a layman opposite his temple gave birth to a boy at home.
Before the baby was born, his mother dreamed that the horse riding by the monk opposite hit her arms, and the baby was born soon after.
She felt strange and asked someone to go to the temple to inquire, only to find out that the horse had just died. She knew that the baby boy was the horse who had come to be reincarnated, so she sent the boy to the temple. But the boy is very stupid. No matter how he is taught to read or write, he cannot read or write, so he does not know a word. However, when a monk taught him to recite the Lotus Sutra, he quickly memorized the first volume, but he could not remember the rest.
What's the reason? Because when he was a horse, the monk recited the first volume on its back every day, so he could remember it. It was able to be reborn as a human being after hearing the Lotus Sutra. You can imagine how incredible the merits of this Lotus Sutra are.
During the Jin Dynasty, there was a layman named Chen Dong-yuan in Yunnan who believed deeply in Guanyin Bodhisattva. He once went to Mount Putuo in the South China Sea to worship the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. After he finished his worship, he saw a monk reciting the Lotus Sutra. He asked this monk to recite sutras for him to save his late mother, so that she could escape suffering and obtain happiness, and ascend to heaven as soon as possible. When his merits were perfect, a very powerful cow in his family suddenly died. That night, the cow entrusted him with a dream and told him: "I am your mother. Because my speech karma was too heavy and my sins were too deep, I was reborn as a cow. Now you ask the Master to recite sutras to save me, so that I can leave the body of the cow, but I still cannot escape the pain of hell. Please ask the Master to recite sutras to save me again! "
After Chen Dongyuan had this dream, he went to Mount Putuo to see the monk and asked him to save his mother again. Although this monk was sincere in his chanting, he was still addicted to alcohol and would occasionally drink one or two glasses of wine. When he learned about the situation of Chen Dong-yuan's mother, he sincerely knelt before the Buddha and recited the Lotus Sutra. When he read the fourth volume, he felt very thirsty and wanted to drink tea, but there was no tea in the teapot; But when he saw there was wine in the glass from which he usually drank, he drank the wine and continued to recite the entire Lotus Sutra. Chen Dong-yuan had another dream. He dreamed that his cow mother said to him: "I could have left hell. When the Master recited the first to fourth volumes of the Lotus Sutra, the hell was filled with golden light, and golden lotus flowers appeared. Just when I was about to be reborn, a smell of alcohol suddenly filled the whole hell, and the fifth to seventy-third volumes of the Lotus Sutra no longer had that great effect. Please ask this Master to read it again for me! "
The Chen layman told the master the situation again.
In the past, this master thought it was not a big deal to drink one or two glasses of wine, but after this incident, he insisted on observing the drinking precepts. Judging from these things, the wonders of the Lotus Sutra are truly incredible.
People who study Buddhism should know that the Lotus Sutra has many wonderful benefits.
For example, animals can be reborn as humans after listening to sutras and Dharma, and those suffering in hell can be reborn in heaven after listening to sutras and Dharma. Because of this meaning, some people recite the sutras and practice according to the methods in the sutras. However, you must not be complacent when practicing, and do not think that chanting sutras has merit. If you are complacent, not only will you have no merit, it will even be in vain. Just plant some good roots. Those who practice Taoism must remember not to be arrogant or condescending. They must be humble and kind everywhere.
