The Lotus Sutra: A Summary

The Lotus Sutra stands out among the Great Vehicle (Mahayana) Sutras as being the quintessential expression of the Buddha’s true intent. It is like a last will and testament. In the T’ien T’ai analysis of the Dharma, The Maha Parinirvana Sutra also is considered to belong to this category. The Maha Parinirvana Sutra is generally considered to be an elaboration on the theme expressed more succinctly in The Lotus Sutra.

The Sutra on Limitless Meanings, in 3 Chapters, is a preface to The Lotus Sutra. In it, the Buddha reviews the evolution of his teachings and explains that the one Dharma includes all teachings of spirituality. The Buddha sums up his first 40 years of teaching of the Dharma. He explains the that there has always been but one Dharma, but it has been taught in limitless ways to adapt to the different prejudices, natures, desires, and capacities of the various spiritual seekers. The Dharma has always been one and the same, but the different audiences have given limitless different meanings to it.

In Chapter One (The Introduction) of The Lotus Sutra, the Buddha has just finished teaching The Sutra on Limitless Meanings and enters into a deep Samadhi that reveals many wonderful signs that move his disciples. The Bodhisattva Manjusri explains that these signs portend the revelation of the Buddha's ultimate teaching.

In Chapter Two (Ways & Means) the Buddha awakens from this Samadhi and reveals the spiritual reality that is behind all the teachings (the three thousands aspects of the single enlightened mind) and the ultimate purpose for the appearance of the Buddhas in the world. He explains the seamless unity of provisionality and reality and the one vehicle that leads to true enlightenment. Chih-I used this chapter to explain his teachings of the Total Blending of the Three Truths and the Three Thousand Aspects of a Single Thought.

In the next few chapters (3-9), the Buddha makes various parables to illustrate these teachings and give his disciples and followers prophecies of their enlightenment, revealing that even those practicing the Two Vehicles will attain enlightenment.

Chapter Three (A Parable) explains how the Buddha uses the Three Vehicles to help living beings escape the burning house that is the of mortal realm of Life & Death even though there is in reality only one Vehicle of Enlightenment. The Buddha also bestows the prophecy of Sariputra's enlightenment.
Chapter Four (Faith & Understanding) explains the Buddha's guidance of spiritual disciples from the small vehicle to the great vehicle in a story of a rich man and his vagrant son.

Chapter Five (Medicinal Plants) explains the Dharma as a great rain that nourishes many different kinds of plants, representing living beings of different spiritual capacities.

In Chapter Six (Bestowing Prophecies) the Buddha bestows prophecies of enlightenment on the disciples Maha Kasyapa, Subhuti, Maha Katyayana and Maha Maudgalyayana.

Chapter Seven (The Magic City) relates a history of past Buddhas and disciples and then explains the temporary use of provisional understandings of Nirvana in order to help reach the long term objective of enlightenment. This is done through a parable about a magic city that serves as a way-station along the long spiritual journey for exhausted spiritual seekers.

Chapter Eight (Prophecy of Enlightenment for 500 Disciples) bestows prophecies of enlightenment on many other disciples.
Chapter Nine (Prophecies for Trainees and Adepts) offer more prophecies of enlightenment.
In Chapters Ten through Fourteen the Buddha explains the actual cultivation of the Sutra’s practice. In these chapters the Buddha also bestows further prophecies revealing that all those of faith (men & women alike, those of the eight groups of spiritual beings - gods, dragons, etc., & even those that have committed terrible acts of evil such as Devadatta) will attain enlightenment.

Chapter Ten (Teacher of the Dharma) explain the practice of the Sutra which is the practice of faith. It includes accepting, embracing, reading, reciting, copying, teaching, and propagating the Sutra, and living in accordance with its teachings.

Having revealed the practice of the Sutra and that all those of faith will attain entry into the sphere of enlightenment, a new theme begins in Chapter Eleven (The Treasure Tower). A great Treasure Tower arises from the earth into empty space that contains the Spiritual Life (S. Dharmakaya) from antiquity that stills attests to the truth of The Lotus Sutra. Upon assembling all of his spiritual emanations in one place the Buddha Sakyamuni opens up the great Treasure Tower revealing this Spiritual Life (as the ancient One That Has Come from the ancient past, Abundant Treasures) and begins the ceremony of empty space (Chapters 11 through 22). This is being seated at the place of the original enlightenment (the Bodhimandala), participating in the timeless ceremony of the Three Treasures, and the giving and receiving of enlightenment.

In the Chapter Twelve (Devadatta) the Buddha bestows prophecies of enlightenment on all who have faith, including women and the sinful, in the stories of the Dragon King's daughter and Devadatta.

In Chapter Thirteen (Encouragement in the Embracing of the Sutra) the Buddha explains embracing the Sutra in hard times and in the future age of evil

Chapter Fourteen (The Practice of Peace and Contentment) explains the perfection of the Sutra's practice in one's thoughts, words, and deeds as well as in one's resolve.

Chih-I explains that the first 14 Chapters are gateway to understanding the manifestation of the Buddha’s enlightenment in this world. The second half of the Sutra reveals the source of the Buddha's enlightenment.

In Chapter Fifteen (Springing Up from the Earth) the Buddha reveals that there have been countless Bodhisattvas arising from the bowels of the earth that have been propagating the Lotus Sutra from time immemorial as his disciples, led by four who represent the Four Virtues of Nirvana. This revelation confuses his disciples who cannot understand how the Buddha can be eternal and yet at the same time all things are temporary and impermanent.

In Chapter Sixteen (Measuring the Life of The One That Has Come) the Buddha explains the eternal nature of enlightenment, which is the innate threefold life of the eternal Buddha. Chapters 17 though 20 describe the merits and virtues of this eternal enlightenment (Chapter Seventeen - Distinguishing the Merits & Virtues) and its acceptance (Chapter Eighteen - Merits & Virtues of Joyful Acceptance) and propagation (Chapter Nineteen - The Merits & Virtues of the Teacher of the Dharma), and keeping faith through good times and bad (Chapter Twenty - The Bodhisattva Never Belittling).

Chapter Twenty-One (The Spiritual Power of The One That Has Come) reveals that the Sutra contains all of the Eternal Buddha’s secret spiritual powers.

Chapter Twenty-Two (The Passing of the Commission) explains the passing of the commission of the eternal Buddha’s work from one incarnation to the next. This closes the part on the ceremony in Empty Space (Chapters 11 through 22).

Chapters 23 though 28 explain the propagation of enlightenment through the vehicles of the Bodhisattvas, both from the perspective of the influence of others (Chapters 23 through 27) and one’s own practice (Chapter 28).

Chapter Twenty-Three (The Medicine King) is on the practices of self-sacrifice as well the diagnosis and healing of sickness

Chapter Twenty-Four (The Bodhisattva Wonderful Sound) & Twenty-Five (The Bodhisattva Observing the Sounds of the World) are on Samadhi practices

Chapter Twenty-Six (Dharanis) is on the embracing of prayers

Chapter Twenty-Seven (The Wonderful Adornment) is on vows

Chapter Twenty-Eight (The Bodhisattva Universal Virtue) is on confession and spiritual penetration

The Sutra on the Observation of the Practice of the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue closes The Lotus Sutra, elaborating on the last chapter and the Confessional Samadhi of the Lotus Sutra.