The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most important and influential of the Mahāyāna sūtras. Its 25th chapter, known as Kannon-gyō in Japanese (Avalokiteśvara Sūtra), is the most widely known and revered portion of the Lotus Sūtra. Its significance is so great that it has often been treated as an independent sūtra. Across East Asia, statues and images of Kannon or Kanzeon Bodhisattva (Skt. Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva) are so popular they can be found in nearly every neighborhood. Dōgen was deeply influenced by the Lotus Sūtra and he quoted from it extensively throughout his writings. To this day, morning services in Sōtō Zen temples begin with a recitation of the verse section of Kannon-gyō, and on days of the month ending in three, both the prose and verse sections are chanted. The meaning and relevance of Kannon-gyō differs enormously depending on one’s understanding of what Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva (Kannon or Kanzeon Bodhisattva) - represents. Some envision Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva as a beautiful feminine figure who perceives our cries of distress and miraculously appears to rescue us. For Dōgen and his descendants, Buddhist salvation in times of disaster does not come in the form of supernatural intervention. Instead, freedom from distress comes when we are able to escape the catastrophic suffering fabricated by our delusional thinking and realign ourselves with reality as it actually is, here and now. Although at first, Kannon-gyō might sound like a fantastical science fiction horror story, when read with this understanding in mind, its true purpose -- as a vivid reminder of the liberating power of prajñā and practice -- becomes clear. No matter how dreadful and terrifying our circumstances might seem, Kannon-gyō is a genuine source of support we can rely on in difficult and challenging times. While there are very few commentaries on Kannon-gyō in English, I will often refer to the incisive and detailed commentaries left behind by Sawaki Rōshi, Uchiyama Rōshi, and other teachers of our lineage, to explain how Dōgen understood this sūtra and why he cherished it. So central is Kannon-gyō for students of Dōgen, that the very first book Okumura Rōshi lent me when we met was Sawaki Rōshi’s commentary on Kannon-gyō. It transformed my understanding of Buddhism. I think it has the potential to do the same for others.