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http://SupremeMasterTV.com -- Buddhism's Sacred Scripture: The Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma, Chapter 4 P1/3. Episode: 1687, Air Date: 28 April 2011. IntroScript Buddha or Buddha Gautama, also known as Shakyamuni Buddha, was a great spiritual Master from ancient India. Born as Prince Siddhārtha Gautama in 5th century BC, he would have naturally inherited the vast wealth of a kingdom. However, the prince one day left the palace life in search of spiritual knowledge. After years of contemplative seeking, the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. He then shared the merits of his practice by providing a method for other sentient beings to be freed from the cycle of death and rebirth. The rich treasury of Buddha's spiritual teachings on universal truths are studied and revered to this day for their deep wisdom and compassion. Today we would like to share with you the sage teachings of the Buddha, excerpts of chapter four of The Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma, also known as the Lotus Sutra. Harmonious viewers, it has been a pleasure to have you with us for today's episode of Between Master and Disciples here on Supreme Master Television. Join us again next Wednesday for part 2 of "Buddhism's Sacred Scripture: The Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma, Chapter 4." Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants is up next after Noteworthy News. We wish you much love and kindness in the days ahead. Enlightened viewers, thank you for your gentle presence for today's episode of Between Master and Disciples. Join us again next Wednesday for part 3 of "Buddhism's Sacred Scripture: The Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma, Chapter 4." Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television for Planet Earth: Our Loving Home, coming up next after Noteworthy News. Joyously, we wish you many blessings from the Divine. Peace-loving viewers, thank you for joining for today's episode of Between Master and Disciples. Planet Earth: Our Loving Home, is coming up next, right after Noteworthy News, so please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television. May you and your loved ones be always embraced in the soothing and healing Melodies of Heaven! Last episode, we learned that after hearing the Buddha made the prophecy that Shariputra would attain anuttara- samyak-sambodhi (the highest perfection), the disciples of the Buddha were grateful to this new revelation: "We have gained what we have never before. Suddenly we have been able to hear a Dharma (true teaching) that is rarely encountered, something we never expected up to now, and we look upon ourselves as profoundly fortunate. We have gained great goodness and benefit, an immeasurably rare jewel, something unsought that came of itself." And to express their gratefulness and made their point clear, they told the parable of a wealthy father whose long lost and impoverished son had finally returned to him, but the son was unaware of his own status, nor did he recognize his father. So the wealthy father had to employ expedient means to approach the son in order to help him realize his true and elevated station in life. Last episode, we learned that when the disciples of the Buddha heard of Shariputra's future attainment of anuttara-samyak- sambodhi (the highest perfection), they become enlightened to their own potential: "Now in this sutra the Buddha expounds only the one vehicle. And in the past, when in the presence of the bodhisattvas he disparaged the voice-hearers as those who delight in a lesser doctrine, the Buddha was in fact employing the Great Vehicle to teach and convert us. Therefore we say that, though originally we had no mind to covet or seek such a thing, now the great treasure of the Dharma King has come to us of its own accord. It is something that the sons of the Buddha have a right to acquire, and now they have acquired all of it." In this episode, Mahakashyapa poetically retold the parable of the wealthy man's long lost son who had degraded hims...