The Lotus Sutra

Outline of Chapter One

Begin Text of the Chapter            Begin Commentary on the Chapter

1. The General Introduction - The Sequence
1. Like this
2. I have heard
3. One Time
4. The Buddha
5. Was at Vulture's Peak...
6. With an Assembly...
1. The Spiritual Disciples
2. The Bodhisattvas
3. Those in the Six Realms
1. The Heavens
1. The Heavens in the Realm of Desire
2. The Heavens in the Realm of Form
2. The Lower Spiritual Realms
1. The Dragons
2. The Kinnaras
3. The Gandharvas
4. The Asuras
5. The Garudas
3. The Humans
7. Summary and Questions
2. The Specific Introduction - The Signs
1. The Worship of the Audience
2. The Manifestation of the Signs
1. The Signs in this World
1. The Teaching of the Dharma
2. The Entry into Samadhi
3. The Raining of the Blossoms
4. The Shaking of the Earth
5. The Rejoicing of the Audience
6. The Issuing Forth of the Light
2. The Signs in the World Beyond
1. Seeing Living Beings in the Six Spiritual Destinies
2. Seeing the Buddhas
3. Hearing the Dharma
4. Seeing the Sangha
5. Seeing the Cultivation of the Bodhiattva Practices
6. Seeing the Buddhas Enter into Nirvana
3. The Doubts
1. The Doubts of Maitreya
2. The Doubts of the Audience
4. The Question Posed by Maitreya
1. The Phrasing of the Question in Prose
2. The Phrasing of the Question in Verse
1. Asking About the Six Signs in This World
2. Asking About the Six Signs in the World Beyond
1. Asking About Seeing Living Beings in the Six Spiritual Destinies
2. Asking About Seeing the Buddhas
3. Asking About Hearing the Dharma
4. Asking About Seeing the Sangha
5. Asking About Seeing the Cultivation of Bodhisattva Practices
1. The Ordered Questioning
1. Generosity
2. Morality
3. Endurance
4. Diligence
5. Meditation
6. Spiritual Insight
2. The Random Questioning
1. Meditation
2. Diligence
3. Morality
4. Endurance
5. Meditation
6. Generosity
7. Spiritual Insight
6. Asking about the Buddha's Entry into Nirvana
3. Requesting an Response
5. Manjusri's Response
1. The Prose Response by Manjusri
1. The Answer According to His Considered Opinion
2. The Answer According to What Has Happened in the Past
1. General Answer About the Past
2. Specific Answer About the Past
1. The Similarity With a Single Buddha From the Past
1. The Time
2. The Name
3. The Teaching of the Dharma
1. The Seven Kinds of Excellence
2. The Sudden and the Gradual Teachings
2. The Similarity With 20,000 Buddhas During the Interim Period
3. The Similarity With the Last of the 20,000 Buddhas
1. The Similarity With What Has Already Happened
1. Having Children
2. Leaving Home
3. The Children Leaving Home
2. The Similarity With What Is Happening Now
1. The Similarity of the Signs
1. The Six Signs in This World
2. The Six Signs in the World Beyond
2. The Similarity of the Doubts
3. The Similarity of the Past With What is About to Happen
1. The Person for Whom the Dharma Will Be Spoken
2. The Name of the Sutra to be Taught
3. The Compression of Time
4. The Announcement of Imminent Entry Into Nirvana
5. The Bestowing of the Prophecies of Enlightenment
6. The Propagation of the Sutra After the Buddha's Entry Into Nirvana
1. The Buddha's Entry Into Nirvana
2. The Benefits From the Propagation
1. The Teachers
2. The Disciples
3. Correspondence of the Past With the Present
3. The Conclusion
2. The Verse Response by Manjusri
1. Similarity With the First of 20,000 Buddhas
2. Similarity With the Last of 20,000 Buddhas
1. The Similarity With What Has Already Happened
2. The Similarity With What Is Happening Now
1. The Similarity of the Signs
1. The Six Signs in This World
2. The Six Signs in the World Beyond
1. Seeing Living Beings in the Six Spiritual Destinies
2. Seeing the Buddhas
3. Hearing the Dharma
4. Seeing the Sangha
5. Seeing the Cultivation of Bodhisattva Practices
2. Similarity of the Doubts
3. The Similarity of the Past With What is About to Happen
1. The Person for Whom the Dharma Will Be Spoken
2. The Sutra to be Taught
3. The Compression of Time
4. The Announcement of Imminent Entry Into Nirvana
5. The Bestowing of the Prophecies of Enlightenment
6. The Propagation of the Sutra After the Buddha's Entry Into Nirvana
1. The Buddha's Entry Into Nirvana
2. The Benefits From the Propagation
1. The Teachers
2. The Disciples
3. Correspondence of the Past With the Present
3. The Conclusion
1. The teaching of The Lotus Sutra is imminent
2. It is a teaching for the Bodhisattvas
3. The Buddha will resolves all doubts

 

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