The Prose & Verse of The Lotus Sutra

Chapter 2
Ways & Means

 Page 5

Now the existence of provision and reality is further opened up into ten parts. There are eight explanations of these ten parts. The eight explanations:

  1. Listing the ten names
  2. Their sequential birth & origination
  3. An explanation of the ten parts
  4. Quoting literal proof of them
  5. Concluding on the ten with the three kinds of provision and reality
  6. Distinguishing provision and reality and illuminating the truth of duality in terms of wisdom
  7. Analyzing provision and reality in terms of the Sutras
  8. Analyzing provision and reality in terms of source and manifestation

A. Listing the names

They are:

  1. Phenomenon & Principle
  2. Principle & Doctrine
  3. Doctrine & Practice
  4. Attachment & Liberation
  5. Cause & Effect
  6. Embodiment & Application
  7. The Gradual & Sudden Teachings
  8. Separation & Union
  9. The General & Specific Benefits
  10. The Four Siddhanta - The Means of Accomplishment

These are the ten names.

B. Their sequential birth and origination:

  1. From the non-abiding source all things are established.
    The non-abiding source is the principle. All things are phenomena.
  2. Because of the principle that is in all phenomena there is the doctrine.
  3. Because of the doctrine there is the practice.
  4. Because of practice there is either attachment or liberation.
  5. Because of liberation there is attainment of a cause & effect.
  6. Because of the effect there is the embodiment.
  7. Because the embodiment can be applied, there are the spiritual influences that are the gradual & sudden teachings.
  8. Because of the opening up of the gradual teachings from the sudden teaching, there is separation & union.
  9. With there being separation and union there are the general & specific benefits.
  10. In distinguishing both kinds of benefits, there are the Four Siddhanta.

This is the sequential progression of the ten parts.

C. An Explanation of the Ten Parts

  1. Principle & Phenomena1: The principle is the absolute reality as-it-is. The absolute reality as-it-is is the pure source. With or without a Buddha awakened to it, it is always unchanging. Therefore we call the principle ‘reality’. The phenomena are those of the mind, the will and the consciousness, etc. those things that originate karmas that are either pure or impure, and are ever changing and indeterminate. Therefore we call the phenomena ‘provisions’. If there were no principle, there would be no establishment of the phenomena. If there were no phenomena, one would be unable to reveal the principle. By virtue of the fact that the phenomena exist and the principle is revealed, The One That Has Come enthusiastically praised the ways and means.
  2. Principle & Doctrine2: In the beginning there was principle and phenomena, with everything generally being referred to here as ‘the principle’. To illustrate this, the absolute reality as-it-is and that which is mundane are both referred to as ‘truths’. The Buddhas embody the truths and so they attain that which is noble. That which is noble is the true reality. Desiring to share this spirituality (Dharma) with the living beings below, the Buddhas establish doctrines that are based upon the principle of reality. The doctrines themselves are that which is provisional. Without a doctrine they would be unable to reveal the principle. They reveal the principle because of the doctrine. Therefore The One That Has Come praised the ways and means.
  3. Doctrine & Practice3: By depending upon a doctrine those that seek the principle will produce a proper practice. The progress and condition of one's practice can be either shallow or deep and so the practice is called the provision. The doctrine is without the differences of progress or conditions that are shallow or deep and therefore the doctrine is called the reality. Without the doctrine one will not establish a practice. Without practice one will not understand the doctrine. One understands the doctrine because of the practice and therefore The One That Has Come praised the ways and mean.
  4. Attachment & Liberation4: If the practice is opposed the principle there will be attachment. Attachment is based on falsehood and so it is called the provision. If the practice conforms with the principle it will produce liberation.  With liberation one penetrates the principle and so it is called the reality. Without attachment there would be no reason to seek liberation. One attains liberation because of attachment. To illustrate this, a body only has the potential to reach to the other shore only because it is crossing the ocean. Therefore there was praise of the ways and means.
  5. Cause & Effect5: A cause is only a short-range, temporary and immediate application of conditioning and so it is called provisional. An effect succeeds in accomplishing a final realization and so it is called real. The cause would have nothing to hope for without an effect. The effect will not reveal itself without its cause. With the ways and means that are the observations of duality, one attains a cause that is free from confusion and an effect that is liberated understanding and entry into the middle way. If one were without the observations of duality how could one agree with the middle way? There will only be an effect if there is a successful cause, and so there was praise for the ways and means.
  6. Embodiment & Application6: The previously described ways and means are the cause. Entering and abiding in proper observation is the effect. Arising from this abode there is the use or application of the embodiment. The embodiment is the true aspect of reality that is beyond any distinctions. With its use there is the establishment of all the individual teachings that are not the same. As an example of this, there is but one great earth, and yet many different kinds of sprouts are born from it. Without the earth they would not be born. Without their lives it would not be revealed. Upon fathoming the currents the source will be attained. Upon considering the applications one becomes aware of the embodiment. The applications have the merit of revealing the embodiment, and so there was the praise of the ways and means.
  7. Gradual & Sudden7: In cultivating the cause one will realize the effect. From the embodiment the applications arise, which are the gradual and sudden teachings. Now we clarify the arising of its applications. The gradual application is that which is provisional and the sudden application is that which is real. If one does not gradually guide living beings they will not enter into that which is sudden. Because they attain the sudden realization by means of the gradual teachings there was praise for the ways and means.
  8. Separation & Union8: The gradual teachings are opened up from the sudden teaching. Because the gradual teachings are not integrated with each other and because they are not united with the sudden teaching, they are called provisional. When the gradual teachings are made complete and they become one with the sudden teaching, they are called real. Because they are separated apart from the sudden teaching, they can be united back with it. In being distinguished apart from the sudden teaching they have the power to be united with it. From receiving their names and being distinguished apart there was praise for the ways and means.
  9. General & Specific Benefits9: The general benefits are based on words with half meanings that are impermanent. The specific benefits are those based on words with full meanings that are always remaining. Although the permanent benefits of the spiritual path are long lasting, produce joy and prevent backsliding, one touches on the general benefits of the magic city in order to guide living beings to produce thoughts that are peaceful and serene. After their influence ceases to be necessary, living beings are guided straight to the treasure trove. If they were without the half measures they would never attain understanding the permanent benefits. The existence of the half measures has the merit of revealing those that are full and therefore there was praise for the ways and means.
  10. The Four Siddhanta10: Three are of this world and are therefore provisional. The Siddhanta of the Highest Significance is beyond this world. Without this world one would not attain that which is beyond this world. One attains that of the highest significance because of the Three Siddhanta and so The One That Has Come praised the ways and means.
One should use the four parts of the tetralemma to explain these ten kinds of provision and reality. Three parts are on the idea of other Sutras and one part is on the idea of this chapter.

 

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Footnotes:

1. Principle & Phenomenon: The principle is the ineffable, inexpressible absolute reality, the pure spiritual truth whether or not one is enlightened to it. It is the law that governs the universe, and it is the true spiritual aspect of reality. Phenomena are our understandings of that reality, and how it is manifested or revealed to us in our mind and in our day-to-day existence. The more enlightened we are, the more phenomena appear identical to the principle. Therefore the phenomenal world is the provision that reveals the principle that is the true spiritual aspect of reality.

2. Principle & Doctrine: Again, the principle refers to the absolutely true aspect of reality. The doctrine, or teaching, is the school or system of belief that based on this principle, accords with it, and applies it. The doctrine or teaching is therefore the provisional device used to reveal the principle, which is the absolute reality. The doctrine (teaching) is most true if it perfectly reflects and reveals the principle.

3. Doctrine & Practice: The doctrine (or teaching) is therefore a theoretical framework to establish a proper practice. It is the plan or guide that teaches and informs the purpose of the conduct. Therefore the doctrine is the reality whereas the conduct or practice is the provision. The practice (conduct) is most true if it perfectly reflects and reveals the doctrine (teaching).

4. Attachment & Liberation: When one’s practice is inconsistent with the teaching (and therefore the principle), one will have attachments. The provision will not be in accord with the reality. When one’s practice is in accord with the teaching, there will be liberation and the provision will be in accord with reality. In the Small Vehicle, freedom from the attachments to the threefold realm of selfish desire and ignorance is liberation. In the Great Vehicle, detachment from the threefold realm is only a subtler form of attachment, and ultimate liberation comes from realization that neither the attachment nor the one bound to it is real and Nirvana is in reality inseparable from Life & Death.

5. Cause & Effect: Any cause made towards the goal enlightenment is provisional whereas the effect, or fruit of realization, is the reality. The cultivation of all the practices of Buddhism are provisions whereas the attainment of enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree (at the Bodhimandala) is the reality. The reality, which is the purpose or intent, is revealed in the causes made. There is nothing that the causes lead to other than the effect, and there will be no effect without the making of the causes.

Although only the fifth of the above is called ‘Cause & Effect’, these first five explanations are all about the different aspects and relationships involved in the cause and effect (cultivation and realization) of one’s Buddhist practice. The second set of five explanations reveals the application of Buddhist practice when one has realized the fruit of enlightenment. It deals with the influence of others.

6. Embodiment & Application: True observation, which is the eye of the Buddha, is the embodiment. It is the reality and the effect of cultivation as described before. Now, with this true observation, one enters into the spiritual realm of living beings to apply this Buddha eye and establish and manifest the Dharma. This application or use of enlightenment is that which is provisional, teaching and guiding living beings. The great Earth (the reality) is one, and yet it produces various kinds of sprouts (provisions). Without the earth there would be no plants, and without the plants, nothing would issue forth from the earth. The applications therefore reveal and five flesh to the embodiment. This is illustrated Chapter 5 of the Lotus Sutra, which describes the rain of the Dharma and the medicinal plants.

7. The Gradual & Sudden Teachings: From the embodiment that is one’s realization of enlightenment one is able to teach living beings with the use of provisions. One uses gradual teachings to plant good spiritual roots and increase the spiritual capacity of living beings - This is the use of that which is provisional. When one awakens living beings in a sudden revelation, reality itself is used. There is no way to prepare living beings for the sudden revelation except with the gradual teachings. Living beings rely upon their previous cultivation of the gradual teachings to respond to the sudden revelation.

8. Separation & Union: The Buddha’s teaching is divided into sudden and gradual teachings. In only cultivating the gradual teachings, living beings will have separation from the principle, but this separation will only be provisional. With the sudden revelation there will be union with the principle of the true spiritual aspect of reality and so the purpose and intent of the teaching (the reality) will be revealed. However, to properly understand this union with the principle they must understand the separation from it in the gradual teachings. This will be described in the illustration of the poor man who shovels dirt only to find that he is the rich man’s son in the fourth chapter of The Lotus Sutra on Faith & Understanding.

9. The General & Specific Benefits: General benefits are the transient benefits attained from the cultivation of the provisional teachings. Specific benefits are the permanent, lasting benefits attained from the real teaching. The general benefits are likened to the magical city on the road to enlightenment in seventh chapter of The Lotus Sutra in which the disciples finds peace and serenity in emptiness. The permanent benefits are like the treasure trove found at the conclusion of the spiritual quest, such as the Bodhisattvas joy and non-regression in the Dharma. If the general, transient benefits did not exist, living beings would not attain the specific benefits that are everlasting (permanent). Words with half meanings and full meanings: Words with half-meanings (literally 'half-words') are words that reveal some truth but produce some illusion. Words with full meaning (literally 'full-words') fully reveal truth and do not produce any illusion. The words of the small vehicle teachings are said to be half-words whereas the Great Vehicle teaching is said to be full words. The Magic City & The Treasure Trove: Parable from the seventh chapter The Lotus Sutra onThe Magic City: A group of travellers in search of a treasure trove (those on the spiritual path) must travel through a fearful region (Life & Death). The people are tired and afraid and many want to go back. Their leader (the Buddha), understanding their desires, creates a magical city where they can settle and rest in comfort (the simple understanding of Nirvana - the General Benefits). Once they have rested and become serene, the leader makes the magic city disappear and he leads them straight to the treasure trove (Wisdom & Virtues - the lasting benefits of spiritual enlightenment).

10. The Four Siddhanta: Literally the means of accomplishment, they methods of teaching the Dharma to living beings. The first three methods of teaching are provisional:
A. The Worldly Method: This is following people’s wishes and desires, and adapting the teaching of the Dharma accordingly. This is attracting and leading people to the Dharma by understanding their desires.
B. The Personal Method: This is recognizing people’s strengths and good qualities and accordingly encouraging them to increase their good spiritual roots (qualities) such as faith, diligence, presence of mind, mental concentration and spiritual insight.
C. The Therapeutic Method: This is recognizing people’s weaknesses and bad qualities and accordingly confronting and healing them so that they can attain self-mastery
The ultimate method of teaching is the reality.
D. The Method of the Highest Significance: This is directly awakening the inexpressible nature of enlightenment in living beings.

 

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