The LOTUS SUTRA
Chapter 25: The Universal Gateway of Kanzeon Bodhisattva
Myōhōrengekyō Kanzeon Bosatsu Fumonbon: Kannon-gyō
妙法蓮華経 観世音菩薩普門品（観音経）
Introduction
By Rev. Issan Koyama
(edited by M. Seizan Sevik)
The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most influential texts of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Its 25th chapter, known in Japan as Kannon-gyō (Sanskrit: Avalokiteśvara Sūtra), is the most revered portion of the sūtra. Throughout East Asia, statues and images of the thousand-armed bodhisattva can be found in temples and in nearly every neighborhood.
Dōgen Zenji was deeply influenced by the Lotus Sūtra and frequently quoted it in his writing. To this day, morning services in Sōtō Zen temples begins with a recitation of the verse section of Kannon-gyō (Fumonbon-ge), and several times a month both the prose and verse sections are recited.
The significance of Kannon-gyō varies enormously depending on how one understands Avalokiteśvara (also known as Kannon or Kanzeon Bodhisattva). Some envision Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva as a beautiful feminine figure who perceives all cries of distress and miraculously comes to the rescue.
For Dōgen and his descendants, however, freedom from distress comes when we are liberated from the suffering created by delusional thinking. In this view, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva is the personification of Buddhist practice itself, dispelling delusion and returning us to reality, here and now.
Although at first Kannon-gyō may sound like a fantastical science-fiction or horror story, its deeper purpose becomes clear when read it with this understanding in mind. Its purpose is to serve as a potent catalyst for the liberating power of prajñā available whenever we need it. No matter how dire and terrifying our circumstances may seem, Kannon-gyō offers a genuine source of support that we can always rely on in challenging times.
As there are few English-language commentaries on Kannon-gyō, I often turn to incisive and detailed commentaries by Kōdō Sawaki, Kōshō Uchiyama Rōshi, and other teachers in 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 Kōdō Sawaki’s commentary on Kannon-gyō. It transformed my understanding of Buddhism – and I believe it has the potential to do the same for you
Recommended Additional Reading
The Five Invitations:
Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully
By Frank Ostaseski
How Can I Help?
Stories and Reflections on Service
By Ram Dass and Paul Gorman
The Sound That Perceives the World
Calling Out to the Bodhisattva
By Kōshō Uchiyama
Translated by Howard Lazzarini, Foreward by Shohaku Okumura
These lectures are recordings of the ongoing Wednesday Lecture Series offered by Rev. Issan Koyama. All materials may be accessed free of charge. Please do not use any written or audio-visual materials for commercial purposes. For permission to use these resources for educational purposes, kindly contact us in writing at: infor@nyzcfordogenstudy.org.
© 2026 New York Zen Community for Dōgen Study
Lectures
Introduction to the Lotus Sutra and its impact on Buddhism and Dōgen.
A review of foundational Buddhist teachings, the meaning of Buddhadharma and Buddha Way, and the key to reading Buddhist texts.
The meaning and significance of the title of the Lotus Sutra (Skr. Saddharma-pundarīka-sūtra), its history, and a overview of its most influential chapters.
The origins and significance of Kannon Bodhisattva’s names -- Avalokiteśvara, Kanzeon, and Kanjizai --and the meaning of “seeing the sounds of the world.”
Beginning the prose portion of Kannon-gyō with an examination of the meaning of each phrase and gesture and how every character in the sutra illuminates a facet of Buddha’s teachings.
The Ten Epithets of the Buddha, the four types of questions posed to the Buddha and what it means to call on Kanzeon Bodhisattva in moments distress.
What is dukkha? A close look at the varieties of human suffering - from birth, aging, illness, and death.
What happens when we say the name, Kanzeon? Examining the first of the twelve challenges – fire!
The challenge of floundering in deep waters!
The challenge of being attacked by enemies with drawn swords!