New Delhi: The Lotus Sutra is a message of peace and harmonious co-existence . An exhibition containing 12 rare manuscripts, 63 photographic panels depicting the relics, documents, facsimile and romanised editions of the Lotus Sutra in numerous languages is being jointly organized by the Institute of Oriental Philosophy, IGNCA, Bharat Soka Gakkai and the International Academy of Indian Culture.
A rare exhibit is the “Saddharma Pundarika Sutra” which was presented to Mahatma Gandhi. According to documented evidence, when Gandhi read the Sutra he was moved to ask, “Why have we lost the sutra of such importance, where existence and transcendence comes together?” The message being that though the lotus resides in a muddy pond it shines brilliantly. In the same way, the human heart that bases itself on the Lotus Sutra will shine amidst the turmoil of daily life.
SGI president Daisaku Ikeda says that the exhibition attempts to establish a deeper understanding of the modern relevance of the Lotus Sutra so that the individual can lead a more meaningful and enriching life.
At the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) from April 17-23 from 10 am to 6:30 pm