The Prose & Verse of The Lotus Sutra

Chapter 2 - Ways & Means

The Explanation of the Title
An Outline

The Outline
1. Outline - The Three Kinds of Ways & Means
1. Teaching & Application
2. The Penetrable Door
3. That Which Is Secret & Wonderful
2. Summation of the Three Kinds of Ways & Means
1. Ways & Means as Teaching & Application
1. The ways & means are external to the embodiment of reality
2. It is a provision for influencing others
3. It uses the words & ideas of others
4. There is nothing to be penetrated and nothing is penetrated
2. Ways & Means as a Penetrable Door
1. The ways & means are external to the embodiment of reality
2. It is a provision for one's own practice & the influence of others
3. It uses one's own words & ideas as well as those of others
4. There is something to be penetrated but it is not penetrated
3. The Secret & Wonderful Ways & Means
1. The ways & means are the same as the embodiment of reality
2. It is the provision of one's own practice
3. It uses one's own ideas and words
4. There is nothing to be penetrated but there is penetration
4. Ways & Means vs. Provisions
1. With ways & means one refutes provisions and with provisions one refutes ways & means
2. With ways & means one cultivates provisions and with provisions one cultivates ways & means
3. With there being ways & means so there are are provisions and with there being provisions so there are ways & means
4. The tetralemma is used in analyzing this
The Elaboration
1. Old Understandings
1. An Old Understanding of the Five Periods of Provision & Reality
1. The Agama Period; The phenomena of impermanence & the principle of impermanence
2. The Prajna Period; Emptiness & existence
3. The Vaipulya Period; The inner mirror of wisdom & the outer application of wisdom
4. The Saddharma Period; The three provisions are discarded & the four unities are established
5. The Nirvana Period; Impermanence vs. permanence & the attainment of the diamond wisdom
2. Other Understandings
1. Understanding of provisions
1. Provisions in terms of location
2. Provisions in terms of doors to spirituality (the Dharma)
3. Provisions in terms of wisdom and ability
2. Understandings of the dual insight of provision & reality
1. Bearing faith; The duality of provision vs. reality
2. Bearing understanding; The duality of emptiness vs. existence
3. Influencing others; The inner stillness vs.the external application
4. The fruit; Permanence vs. Impermanence & attainment of the diamond wisdom
3. The Three Turns of the Truth of Duality
1. Existence is mundane truth, emptiness is absolute truth
2. Emptiness & existence are mundane truths,  whereas
   that which is neither existence nor emptiness is absolute truth
3. Duality and non-duality are mundane truths, whereas
   that which is neither duality nor non-duality is absolute truth
2. The Buddha's Gradual Guidance of Living Beings
1. Teaching of emptiness - of bearing faith and leaving existence - to ordinary people.
2. Teaching of the middle way - that which is neither emptiness nor existence - to those of the Two Vehicles
3. Teaching of freedom from the two extremes but not being attached to the middle way - the discarding of both partiality and the mean - to the Bodhisattvas
3. Clarifying Provision and Reality
1. The Tetrelemma
1. All Teachings are Provisional
2. All Teachings are Real
3. All Teachings are Both Provisional and Real
4. All Teachings are Neither Provisional Nor Real
2. The Ten Explanations of Provision and Reality
1. Listing the Ten Names
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 Siddhanta
2. Their Sequential Birth & Origination
3. An Explanation of the Ten Parts
4. Quoting Literal Proof of them from the Sutras
1. From The Lotus Sutra generally
2. From The Chapter on Ways & Means specifically
3. From The Discourse on The Lotus Sutra
5. Conclusion on the Three Kinds of Provision & Reality
1. General Conclusion on Provision & Reality
1. One's Own Practice
2. The Influence of Others
3. In Both Oneself and Others
2. Specific Conclusion on the Three Provisional Doctrines and the One Real Doctrine
3. Conclusion in terms of the Tetralemma
4. Conclusion on the Explanation of the Chapter's Title
1. The Ways & Means of Teaching & Application
2. The Ways & Means that are Penetrable
3. The Secret & Wonderful Ways & Means
6. The Three Kinds of Provision & Reality and the Three Kinds of Duality
Generally Applying the Ten Kinds of Provision & Reality
1. One's Own Practice - According to Wisdom
2. The Influence of Others - Adapting to Conditions - According to Feelings
3. Tying Together Self & Other - According to Wisdom and Feelings
Specifically Applying the Ten Kinds of Provision & Reality
In Terms of the Four Doctrines
Tying Them All Together
Analyzing Provision & Reality in terms of the Sutras
1. The Flower Garland (Avatamsaka) Sutra
2. The Sutras of the Three Baskets (Tripitaka)
3. The Sutras of the Universal Way (Vaipulya)
4. The Sutras of Wisdom (Prajna)
5. The Sutra of the Dharma Blossom (Saddharma Pundarika)
Analyzing Provision & Reality in terms of Source & Manifestation
1. In Terms of the Five Periods
2. In Terms of the Tetralemma
3. In Terms of the Buddha and Sariputra

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