The Prose & Verse of The Lotus Sutra

The Prose & Verse of The Lotus Sutra

Chapter 2
Ways & Means

Page 7

E. Concluding on Provision and Reality

The General Conclusion

In penetrating the Four Doctrines¹ with these ten kinds of provision and reality, there are forty kinds of provision and reality.

Upon realizing these ten things for oneself in the Doctrine of the Three Baskets^1a, there is the provision and reality of one’s own practice.
Upon teaching of these ten things to benefit living beings, there is the provision and reality of influencing others.
With these ten being used in the influence of others, they are all provisional.
With these ten being used in one’s own practice, they are all real.

This is called the provision and reality of one's own practice and the influence of others.

When the ten are used in the other three doctrines^1b-d, they are also tied together like this.

The Specific Explanation

There are fours kinds that are the provision and reality of one’s own practice:

Principle & phenomena
Doctrine & practice
Attachment & liberation
Cause & effect

There are two kinds that are the provision and reality of influencing others:

Principle & doctrine
Separation & union

There are four kinds that are the provision and reality of both oneself and others:

Embodiment & application,
Gradual & sudden teachings,
General & specific benefits and
The Siddhanta.

Although the names are the same, their meanings are different.

The Conclusion of the Specific Expanation in terms of the Four Doctrines

Whether being general or specific, the Three Doctrines^1a-c may all be analyzed as being the provision and reality of influencing others and following the thoughts and ideas of others.
Whether being general or specific, the Total Doctrine^1d may be analyzed as being the provision and reality of one’s own practice and following one’s own ideas and words.
The Three Doctrines^1a-c that are on the influence of others are called the provisions.
One’s own practice is called the reality.

Next we conclude on the attainment of the Tetralemma

In adapting to the thoughts and ideas of others all things are provisional.
In adapting to one’s own thoughts and ideas all things are real.
In holding onto both, all things are both provisional and real.
In holding onto neither, all things are neither provisional nor real.

Next we conclude on the three explanations of the chapter’s title

When there is one’s own practice and one’s own resolve, there are words on the attainment of the place of enlightenment².
The Great Nirvana Sutra called it “the cultivation and attainment of enlightenment”
The Inclusiveness of the Great Vehicle spoke of ‘the principle as-it-is and the wisdom that accords with it”.
Both of these are about the Total Doctrine^1d, the provision and reality of one’s own practice and following one’s own ideas and words.

A. Dharma & Application

Although the Buddha was able to teach of the spiritulaity (the Dharma) that is inexpressible with ways and means, living beings were not prepared to handle it. They became distressed when they were only taught about the spirituality (the Dharma). Because of the attachments of living beings, the Buddha was unable to make them grasp it. Therefore the Buddha said, “It is impossible to explain, it is impossible to explain.”

And the Buddha set this work aside and, using the provision and reality of his own practice, he applied the provision and reality of the Specific Doctrine^1c to the attachments of living beings. Those of great spiritual capacity and sharp spiritual roots³ directly attained enlightenment whereas those of great capacity but dull spiritual roots took a more circuitous route to its attainment. Those with little spiritual capacity did not attain it at all, regardless of whether their spiritual roots were sharp or dull. This was the period of The Flower Garland Sutra.
Again setting this work aside, the Buddha singly applied the provision and reality of the Three Baskets Doctrine^1a to the attachments of living beings. Those of great spiritual capacity (whether of sharp or dull spiritual roots) grasped the hidden intent of this but they did not grasp the revealed teaching. Those of small spiritual capacity (whether of sharp or dull spiritual roots) only sought guarantees of immediate benefits, and clung to a selfish kind of spiritual realization that did not result in a true benefit. This was period of The Sutras of the Three Baskets.
Again setting this work aside, the Buddha applied the provision and reality of all Four Doctrines¹ to the attachments of living beings. Those with great spiritual capacity (whether of sharp or dull spiritual roots) attained enlightenment either directly or circuitously. Those of small spiritual capacity (whether of sharp or dull spiritual roots) sought guarantees of realization and did not attain it. This was the period of The Sutras of the Universal Way.
Again setting this work aside, the Buddha discarded the provision and reality of the Three Baskets Doctrine^1a, only applying the provision and reality of the other Three Doctrines^1b-d and applying them to the attachments of living beings. Those of great spiritual capacity (whether of sharp or dull spiritual roots) attained enlightenment. Those of small spiritual capacity (whether of sharp or dull spiritual roots) sought guarantees of realization and did not attain it. This was the period of Prajna Sutras.
And leaving this work aside, the Buddha discarded the provision and reality of the first Three Doctrines^1a-c and only applied the Total Doctrine^1d and the provision and reality of his own practice to the attachments of living beings. Those of great and small spiritual capacity and those of sharp and dull spiritual roots all attained enlightenment. This was the period of The Lotus Sutra.

There is nothing that the wisdom and insight of The One That Has Come did not reach. Clearly illuminating timing and opportunity, its applications were given out whether or not they could reach living beings. Therefore this explanation of the chapter’s title says:
“The Ways are the teachings about spirituality (the Dharma) whereas The Means are the skillful applications.”

With living beings grasping the skillful applications of the ways to the Dharma the Buddha enthusiastically praised the ways and means.

The Penetrable Ways & Means

And next, both the provision and reality of the Buddha's own realization were inexpressible. With thoughts of compassion for living beings, he taught of a door that was the provision of his own realization. When there were not the right opportunities, living beings were not be able to enter into it and his own realization was inexpressible.

The Flower Garland (Avatamsaka) Period: He taught of a door that was the provision and reality of the Specific Doctrine^1c. Those with sharp spiritual roots attained entry into it but those with dull spiritual roots did not. When there were not the right opportunities, the provision and reality of the Specific Doctrine^1c was inexpressible.
The Three Baskets (Tripitaka) Period: He then taught of a door that was the provision and reality of the Three Baskets Doctine^1a. Those with sharp spiritual roots secretly entered into it but those of dull spiritual roots did not. When there are not the right opportunities, it was still inexpressible.
The Universal Way (Vaipulya) Period: He then taught of a door that was the provision and reality of three different kinds of influence on others^1a-c. Those that were sharp attained entry into it but those that were dull still did not. When there are not the right opportunities, it was inexpressible.
The Wisdom (Prajna) Period: He then taught of a door that was the provision and reality of two different kinds of influence on others^1b-c. Those that were sharp attained entry into it but those that were dull still did not. When there are not the right opportunities, it was inexpressible.
The Dharma Blossom (Saddharma) Period): He finally discarded the provisions and the reality of the three kinds of influence on others^1a-c and only taught of the provision of his own practice. Those that are sharp and those that are dull both attained entry into it.

The One That Has Come enthusiastically praised the ways and means when they were used as a door from beginning to end

The explanation of this chapter is that “The ways and means are the doors for entering into reality.”
This is the idea here.

From the beginning the The One That Has Come was able to understand and apply the ways and means and at the same time there were practitioners that were able to follow and accept the ways and means.

The Secret & Wonderful Ways & Means

And then there was the cultivation and attainment of the Buddha's own realization. In all the ways and means there was the absolute reality, and yet this absolute reality was inexpressible. Although he was able to teach of it, living beings were not capable of identifying with the reality.

The Flower Garland (Avatamsaka) Period: With the power of ways and means, and in the sphere where things are not identical, he taught of their single identity. Those that were sharp were able to identify with this but those that were dull could not.⁴
The Three Baskets (Tripitaka) Period: Then he simply taught of their single non-identity. Those that were sharp were able to secretly identify with this but those that were dull could not.⁵
The Universal Way (Vaipulya) Period: And then he taught of the single identity in the zone where there are the three that are not identical. Those that were sharp are able to identify with this but those that were dull could not.⁶
The Wisdom (Prajna) Period: And then he taught of the single identity in the zone where there are two that are not identical. Those that were sharp were able to identify with this but those that were dull could not.⁷
The Dharma Blossom (Saddharma) Period: Finally he discarded the three that were not identical and simply taught that all were identical. Those that were sharp and dull all were able to identify with this. With the ways and means they got to see the absolute reality.⁸

In the two previous ideas⁹ the Buddha used ways and means that were derived from the ways and means. In this secret & wonderful ways & means there is a single intent and the ways and means are identical with the absolute reality. The absolute reality is identical with the total cause, and the total cause¹⁰ is identical with the ways and means of one's own practice. With the ways and means of one’s own practice being like this, now one begins to realize what it is and enter into it.

The above explanation is called 'the ways and means being identical with the absolute reality'. It gets its name from the ways and means of one’s own practice and so this chapter is called “The Chapter on Ways and Means”.

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Outline of Title Outline of Prose

Footnotes:

1. The Four Doctrines: The progressively deeper understandings of spiritual truth:
a. The Doctrine of the Three Baskets: The Truths of Birth & Extinction, on Causality & Conditions - For the Two Vehicles
b. The General Doctrine: The Truths Without Birth or Extinction, on Emptiness - For the Three Vehicles
c. The Specific Doctrine: The Limitless Truths, on That Which is Temporary - For the Bodhisattva
d. The Total Doctrine: The Innate Truth, on the Mean - For the Buddhas

2. The place of enlightenment: The Bodhimandala

3. Spiritual capacity: Potential to receive the the teachings of the Buddha - corresponding to the higher or lower spiritual vehicles (e.g. Deva, Sravaka, Pratyekabuddha, Bodhisattva) Spiritual roots: Keenness of dullness of spiritual faculties in these vehicles: Faith, Diligence, Presence of Mind, Mental Concentration, Spiritual Insight

4. The Single Identity: The Flower Garland (Avatamsaka) Period, engagement and identity with the principle of the true spiritual aspect of reality

5. The Single Non-Identity: The Three Baskets (Tripitaka) Period, detachment from the threefold realm of Life & Death

6. In the zone where there are the Three (Doctrines) that are not identical one teaches of the single identity: The Universal Way (Vaipulya) Period

7. In the zone where there are the Two (Doctrines) that are not identical one teaches of the single identity:
The Wisdom (Prajna) Period

8. In discarding the three that are not identical one simply teaches that all are identical:
The Period of The Dharma Blossom (Saddharma Pundarika)

9. The Two Previous Ideas: a. Teaching & Application and b. The Penetrable Door

10. The Total Cause: The Wonderful Original Cause, the cause of enlightenment

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