The Prose & Verse of The Lotus Sutra

Chapter 1
The Introduction

Page 2

The Buddha first related the words of the Sutras, scattering both flowers and garlands¹. Those that gathered and bound them² then taught and transmitted them. Those that wrote the Discourses depended on the Sutras without dividing them into parts.

The lecturers and masters of long ago only elaborated on the significant principles, without dividing them into sections. When simply using these ideas, they ultimately had no consciousness of there being a beginning or an end.

And the Buddha taught the garlands. Those that gathered them established the chapters according to their themes.

The Numerically Arranged Agamas say:
"It was agreed that one part would be the Sutras, one part would be the disciplinary rules (the Vinaya), and one part would be the Abhidharma."

It was further agreed that The Sutras would be opened up into four parts:

• The Numerically Arranged Agamas (Ekottarika Agamas)
• The Long Agamas (Dirgha Agamas)
• The Middle-Length Agamas (Madhyama Agamas), and
• The Miscellaneous Agamas (Samyukta Agamas)

• The Numerically Arranged Agamas clarified the cause and effect of personality and heaven³
• The Long Agamas refuted false views
• The Middle Length Agamas clarified the deep meaning of principles, and
• The Miscellaneous Agamas clarified meditation and Samadhi.

The Disciplines (Vinayas) were opened up into The Five Works⁴ and The Eighty Recitations⁵.

The Abhidharma was opened up into The Six Legs⁶ and The Eight Skandhas⁷, etc. In The Agamas the legs include the six perfections, generosity, morality, spiritual insight, etc. and all of the eight groupings, including the roots, the natures, the paths, the samadhis, etc.

Vasubandhu made a discourse⁸ that analyzed The Introductory Chapter as having seven merits & virtues⁹ and The Chapter on Ways & Means was divided into five parts¹⁰. The other chapters each had their divisions and sections as well.

From long ago various teachers have held different ideas on how to divide up and analyze the Sutra’s words. Later, in troubled times¹¹, the master of Kuang-Chai¹² would help to clarify the dense fog and let the sparkle from the three lights of heaven shine through¹³. Tan Luan¹⁴ spoke of it as “the delicate course of smoke being mixed with a gust of the flying wind”.

The Master Hui-Lung at Lu Shan¹⁵ divided the words of the Sutra into an introductory part, a part on the main teaching, and a part on the encouragement of its propagation, dividing the twenty-seven chapters¹⁶ as follows:

• From the chapter on The Introduction, it speaks of the absolute truth and the ways and means. The principle is one and yet there are three teachings.
• From the chapter on The Treasure Tower, there is the body of absolute truth and the body of ways and means. The truth is distant and eternal, and yet it declared to be close and immediate.
• And from the chapter on Ways and Means to the chapter on the Practice of Peace & Contentment there is the door to the cause.
• From the chapter on Springing Forth From the Earth on there is the door to the effect.

The Master Seng-Yin at the Chung-Hsing Monastery¹⁷ accepted the Sutra’s analysis from the Master Hui-Lung and similarly divided the words with profound clarity.

• From the chapter on The Introduction to the chapter on Abundant Treasures there is the part on the cause.
• From the chapter on Encouragement to Embrace the Sutra to chapter on The Spiritual Power there is the part on the effect.
• From the chapter on The Final Commission to the end of the Sutra there is the part on protecting and embracing it.

And there are teachers that have said:

• From the chapter on The Introduction to the chapter on The Prophecies of the Trainees and the Adepts there is the Sutra’s embodiment
• From the chapter on The Master of the Dharma to the chapter on The Final Commission, the Sutra clarifies the merits & virtues of receiving and embracing it.
• From the chapter on The Medicine King to the end of the Sutra there are the beautiful original vows of the Bodhisattvas.

And there are teachers that made four steps:

• The first chapter is the introductory part.
• From chapter on The Ways & Means to the chapter on The Practice of Peace & Contentment, the Sutra opens up the three teachings and reveals the one principle.
• From the chapter on Springing Forth From the Earth to the chapter on Distinguishing the Merits & Virtues is on the step of opening up the close & immediate and revealing the distant & eternal.
• Finally there is the step of going to the other powers. This is the step of the Sutra’s general propagation.

Fa-Yun at Kuang-Chai¹² received the Sutra’s analysis from Seng-Yin and began with three steps. Each of them is then opened up into two parts.

• The introduction is both general and specific.
• The main explanation has both a door to the cause and a door to the effect.
• The part of propagation is both on one’s own practice and the influence of others.

• The two introductions each have five parts.
• The main teachings each have four parts.
• The two parts on propagation each have three parts.
• Joined together there are twenty-four parts.

These divisions of the words of the Sutra are all in accordance with the people’s desires and feelings. The orchid and the chrysanthemum each have their own unique beauty, and in the end it is not a matter of one being right and the other wrong.

Without the three benefits, one will not attain the single path.

• The three benefits are the Three Siddhanta¹⁸: the worldly, the personal, and the therapeutic.
• The single path is the Siddhanta of the Highest Significance.

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 Footnotes:

1. The Flowers: The prose The Garlands: The verse

2. Gathered: Embraced with faith Bound: Remembered - in the early tradition, the teachings of the Buddha were memorized and repeated in prose and verse and taught and transmitted from generation to generation. The words of the Buddha were not actually written down until considerably later.

3. The cause and effect of personality and heaven: The teachings of karma & retribution. Personality dealt with development of character and a healthy personality. Heaven dealt with mastery of desire and mental powers (meditation).

4. The Five Works There was one each on the four truths, which collectively are on ‘the path of views or knowledge’ and a fifth work on ‘the path of cultivation’ - the eightfold path, the 37 facets of spiritual awakening, etc.)

5. The Eighty Recitations The original Vinaya, or code of disciplinary rules, was said to have been recited by Upali eighty times during the summer retreat of the first council.

6. The Six Legs: The basic literature of the Abhidharma (as taught in the Sarvastivada School) is in seven parts and was described by Yasomitra as 'the body with six legs'. The Body (S. Jnana-Prasthana - 'on the source of wisdom', ascribed to Katyayaniputra) was the main body of work, which is a general explanation of Buddhist doctrine, whereas The Six Legs (S. Satpadabhidharma) were the supplementary teachings. The six legs: 
A. Samgiti-Paryaya, ascribed to Sariputra or Maha Kausthila
B. Prakarana-Pada, ascribed to Vasumitra
C. Vijnana-Kaya, ascribed to Devasarman
D. Dhatu-Kaya, ascribed to Purna or Vasumitra
E. Dharma-Skandha, ascribed to Sariputra or Maha-Muadgalyayana
F. Prajnapti-Sastra, ascribed to Maha-Maudgalyayana

7. The Eight Skandhas: The Sections of the Abhidharma on #1 Karma (actions with spiritual consequences), #2 Klesas (Emotional desires and distress), #3 Prajna (Spiritual insight), #4 Samadhi (Mental concentration), #5 Indriyas (Spiritual Roots or Qualities) #6 Bhutas (Elements), #7 Dristas (Views) &  #8 Miscellaneous Subjects

8. Saddharma Pundarika Upedesa, ascribed to Vasubandhu, probably the earliest extant commentary on The Lotus Sutra

9. The seven merits & virtues of the First Chapter (Introduction):
A. The opening sequence is accomplished
B. The audience is established
C. The Sutra of Limitless Meanings has been taught to the Bodhisattva and now the time is ripe for The Lotus Sutra
D. The Buddha enters and abides in the majestic bearing of Samadhi
E. There is the emitting of the light and seeing of the other lands
F. The doubts and questions of Maitreya and the audience express their desire to hear the explanation of these signs
G. The answer of Manjusri resolves the doubts about these signs

10. The five parts on the Second Chapter (Ways & Means):
A. The praise of the wonderful Dharma
B. From "Since I attained enlightenment..." there is praise of the merits & virtues of the Dharma Master
C. From "At this time among the host there were sravakas..." there is the an explanation of the doubts of the audience
D. From "At this time the Buddha addressed Sariputra..." there is the part on the Buddha's main teaching
E. From "Sariputra, when the Buddhas appear in the impure world..." there is the part on resolving their doubts

11. The troubled times: A reference to the political and religious turmoil in China at the time. The country was divided into northern and southern dynasties, and non-Chinese tribes rules much of northern China.There were conflicts with Taoism for influence and periods of persecution for Buddhist followers.

12. The master of Kuang Chai: Fa-Yun (466-529 CE); famous for his lectures on The Lotus Sutra, he wrote a well known commentary on the Sutra in eight volumes (C. Fa-Hua-Ching I-Chi). Abbott of the Kuang Chai ('House of Light') Monastery from 507, he was a highly respected and influential teacher of the court during the Liang Dynasty.

13. The three lights of heaven: The sun, the moon & the stars, signifying the clear light and the illumination of the realms of heaven, transcending the interference that comes from the turmoil and confusion of this world. Also signifying Fa-Yun's ability to cut through the false interpretations of the Sutras.

14. Tan Luan: (476-542 CE) Usually considered the first Patriarch of the Pure Land school

15. The Master Hui-Lung at Lu Shan: During the late fourth and early fifth century CE there were two places where study and propagation of The Lotus Sutra was strong:
A. To the south at Lu-Shan ('Mount Lu') in Kiang-Si Province: Sanghadeva (translator of the Jnana-Prasthana described above) and Hui-Yuan (334-416 CE) brought this center of Buddhism to prominence, first advancing the study of the Sarvastivadan doctrines and then the Great Vehicle Sutras such as The Lotus Sutra, it became a famous center of the Pure Land faith. Tao-Sheng (360-434 CE) and Hui-Kuan studied here and facilitated correspondenvce between Lu-Shan and the Great Monastery at Chang-An. Hui-Lung studied here later
B. The Great Monastery at Chang-An in the north: Developed under Tao-An (312-385 CE), this monastery became the largest in China with up to three thousand monks. Kumarajiva (344-413 CE) was brought here as a war-prize in 401 CE. Here he embarked on his important translations of Sutras and Discourses, including the definitive translation of The Lotus Sutra in406 CE. Kumarajiva was aided in bis translation efforts by up to eight hundred monks, led such important disciples as Seng-Chao, Seng-Jui, Tao-Sheng and Hui-Kuan.

16. The twenty-seven chapters: Kumarajiva's translation of The Lotus Sutra was originally in twenty-seven chapters. The Chapter on Devadatta was added after the Chapter on The Treasure Tower during the lifetime of Chih-I (538-597 CE), increasing the total to twenty-eight chapters.

17. The Master Seng-Yin at the Chung-Hsing Monastery: A disciple of Hui Lung at Lu-Shan and head of the Chung-Hsing Monastery.

18. The Siddhanta: Methods of guiding living beings to enlightenment, in four parts:
A. Worldly Method - adapting to the desires of living beings and guiding and and teaching them accordingly
B. Personal or Individual Method: Finding opportunities to further develop their good spiritual qualities
C. Therapeutic Method: Confronting their faults and and healing their sicknesses
D. The Method of the Highest Significance: Directly awakening them to the nature of enlightenment, regardless of methodology

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