Shingan's Portal - 6. Saddharmapuṇḍarīkā, The White Lotus of the True Dharma

6. Saddharmapuṇḍarīkā, The White Lotus of the True Dharma

Learning the Navagrantha Reading Guide

This website is a collection of materials and discussions about the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. The site is organised according to a chapter-by-chapter basis. The written guide collates materials used for a reading group on the Lotus Sutra from 2016 to 2017. The home page for the entire project, creating resources for the most sacred Mahāyāna Sūtras, can be found here: Learning the Navagrantha

Chapters

Part I: Causal (Three Vehicles as Cause are the One Vehicle as Cause)

Introductory Section (1)

Chapter 1: Introduction

Correct Tenet Section (2-9)

Chapter 2: Skilful Means

Chapter 3: A Parable

Chapter 4: Willing Acceptance

Chapter 5: Herbs

Chapter 6: Prediction

Chapter 7: The Apparitional City

Chapter 8: The Five Hundred Disciples Receive their Predictions

Chapter 9: The Predictions for Those Who Still Have More to Learn and for Those Who Do Not

Propagation Section (10-14)

Chapter 10: The Expounder of the Dharma

Chapter 11: The Appearance of a Jewelled Stupa

Chapter 12: Devadatta

Chapter 13: Perseverance

Chapter 14: Ease in Practice

Part II: Effectual (Three Vehicles as Effect are the One Vehicle as Effect)

Introductory Section (15)

Chapter 15: Bodhisattvas Emerging from the Earth

Correct Tenet Section (16-17)

Chapter 16: The Lifespan of the Tathāgata

Chapter 17: Description of Merits

Propagation Section (18-21)

Chapter 18: The Merits of Joyful Acceptance

Chapter 19: The Benefits Obtained by an Expounder of the Dharma

Chapter 20: Bodhisattva Sadāparibhūta

Chapter 21: The Transcendent Powers of the Tathāgata

Part III: The Practitioners of the Three Vehicles are the Practitioners of the One Vehicle

Chapter 22: Entrustment

Chapter 23: Ancient Accounts of Bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja

Chapter 24: Bodhisattva Gadgadasvara

Chapter 25: The Gateway to Every Direction [Manifested by Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara]

Chapter 26: Dhāraṇī

Chapter 27: Ancient Accounts of King Śubhavyūha

Chapter 28: Encouragement of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra

Background

Title

Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra

Saddharma means the “true Dharma.” According to Tao-sheng’s commentary, this is specified because while there are various grades of expedient teachings, this teaching declares that these are all non-existent, there being only one-vehicle remaining that matches the Dharma fully. Sat- (t- before -d becomes d-) is from the root √as, meaning to be, and thus carries the connotation of true, real, actual. In Chinese the term 妙Miào, beautiful or clever, is used, which is another meaning of sat.

Puṇḍarīka means a white lotus flower, but is also derived from the Sanskrit root √puṇ, the same root of the word merit, puṇya. Hence, the connection between the flowering of merit and the flowering of a lotus cannot be found in the English or Chinese. Tao-sheng points out that the kind of white lotus indicated by puṇḍarīka is the lotus at first full blossom—after the flower is fully mature, the seeds spread. Each seed then gives rise to another lotus, all the blossoms of which arise with the same intensity.

Together, the full title is “The White Lotus of the True Dharma.” In Chinese 妙法蓮華經, Miàofǎ Liánhuá jīng.

Structure of the Sutra

According to Tao-sheng, the structure is as follows:

Chapter 1-14: Cause of the Three Vehicles is the cause of the One Vehicle.

Chapter 15-21: Effect of the Three Vehicles is the effect of the One Vehicle.

Chapter 22-28: The practitioners of the Three Vehicles are the practitioners of the One Vehicle. Each of these are said to have three parts (intr., main, end; e.g. 1; 2-9; 10-13).

An overview of the different theories about the sūtra's structure can be seen in this image on the right from page 31 of The Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture Page 31 by George Joji Tanabe and Willa Jane Tanabe.

Verses

Why are there verses (gāthās) and prose in this sūtra? Verses usually repeat what is said in the prose, but sometimes they include extra information that was not in the prose. Likewise, sometimes what is in the prose is not in the verse section.

Five Periods

The Lotus Sutra, in the context of the Mahāyāna conception of the Buddha's career, is situated towards the end of his life. While many of the same themes were touched upon in the Avataṃsaka teachings, these were directed towards heavenly beings. The Lotus Sutra is a new Dharma for the śrāvakas, or human disciples of the Buddha.