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Group 2

1. Ven. VO HUU DANH

5501201045
2. Ven. NGUYEN HOANG PHUC

5501201046

II. Name of the Sutra


The Sutra in Sanskrit word is called
Saddharmapundarika Sutra.
Sad means wonderful, fine, proper.
Dharma means teaching, generally used to described the
Buddhist teaching.
Pundarika means white lotus flower.
It can be translated in several ways, such as:
1. The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra
2. The Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Law
3. The Dharma Flower Sutra
4. The Lotus Sutra etc.
The simplest name is, of course, the Lotus Sutra.

III. Historical background


After about 100 years of the Buddhas

passing away, the Sagha divided into


many schools, in which Mahayana was
one of prominent and influential
schools.
The Lotus Sutra appeared in the period
of strongly development of Mahayana
Buddhism in India (2nd century AD)
Lotus Sutra was written in the
Buddhas time and was stored during
500 years until the Four Buddhist
Council
in
Kashmir,
it
was
reintroduced.

IV. Translations
There were six translations of the Lotus Sutra into Chinese,
but only three are still in circulation.
The Lotus Sutra of the Correct Dharma, in ten volumes and

twenty-seven chapters, translated by Dharmaraka in 286


CE.
The Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma, in eight
volumes and twenty-eight chapters, translated by
Kumrajva in 406 CE.
The Supplemented Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma,
in seven volumes and twenty-seven chapters, a revised
version of Kumrajva s text, translated by Jnanagupta and
Dharmagupta in 601 CE.

Amongst
the
three,
the
version
translated
by Kumrajva in A.D. 406 is widely known and
accepted. It is the most authoritative version on which
the present English translation is based. The standard in
rendering his oral languages is extremely high. It was a
work of great literacy merit. The form of construction is
strict, but it is easy to read.

V. Summary of the Lotus Sutra


Lotus Sutra is divided into

28 chapters (in Kumarajiva


translation), beginning by
chapter Introduction and
closing by chapter The
Encouragement
of
Universal
Worthy
Bodhisattva)
The text was written partly
in prose and partly in verse.
The verses often summarize
the content of prose
mentioned previously.

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 expl
ains
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 provisionally 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.

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.

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 through 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

TwentyOne (The Spiritual


Power of The One
That
Has
Come) reveals that
the Sutra contains all
of
the
Eternal
Buddhas
secret
spiritual powers.

Chapter Twenty-Two

(The Passing of the


Commission) explains
the passing of the
commission of the
eternal Buddhas work
from one incarnation to
the next. This closes the
part on the ceremony in
Empty Space (Chapters
11 through 22).

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
(Dhras) 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

A distinctive feature
of the Lotus Sutra is
the use of parables.
It contains many
layers of metaphor
that have inspired

many layers of
interpretation.
The Burning House
(chapter 3): A man
lures his children out
of a burning house

VI. The Parables

The

Medicinal Herbs
(Chapter 5): Although they
grow in the same ground
and receive the same rain,
plants grow in different
ways
The
Phantom
City
(Chapter 7): A man
leading people on a
difficult journey conjures
an illusion of a beautiful
city to give them the heart
to keep going

The Gem in the Jacket


(Chapter 8): A man sews
a gem into his friend's
jacket. However, the
friend wanders in poverty
not knowing that he
possesses a gem of great
value
The Excellent Physician
(Chapter
16):
A

physician's children are


dying of poison but lack
the sense to
take
medicine

VII. Three Principle Themes


Dominate the Lotus Sutra
All Vehicles
Vehicle:

Are

One

The Buddha addressed the doctrine of

Triyana, or "three vehicles" to nirvana.


The Triyana describes people who
realize enlightenment by hearing the
Buddha's sermons, people who realize
enlightenment for themselves through
their own effort, and the path of the
bodhisattva.
But the Lotus Sutra says that the three
vehicles are one vehicle - the Buddha
vehicle, through which all beings
become Buddhas.

All Beings May Become


Buddhas
A theme expressed throughout the

sutra is that all beings may attain


Buddhahood and Nirvana.
Women can attain Buddhahood
without having to be reborn as
men.
Because the dharmakaya is all
beings, all beings have the
potential to awaken to their
Buddha
nature
and
attain
Buddhahood.

The Importance of
Faith and Devotion
Buddhahood

may
through

not be
intellect

attained
alone.
Stressing the importance of
faith and devotion as means to
realization of enlightenment.
Faith and devotion make
Buddhahood more accessible
to laypeople who do not spend
their lives in ascetic monastic
practice.

VIII. Lotus Sutra in


Comparison to Pli Canon.
The Pli Canon contains the scriptures followed by

Theravada Buddhism.
Pli scriptures are thought to be the words of the historical
Buddha and some of his disciples, preserved for a time by
oral tradition and then written down in the 1st century
BCE.
Lotus sutra is unlike Pli scriptures being accepted by
Theravada Buddhism. Lotus Sutra is very important to
some Mahayana schools but ignored by others. For
example, the Lotus Sutra is the only scripture accepted by
the Nichiren, but it plays no part in Tibetan Buddhism.

IX. Conclusion

Lotus Sutra plays an important part in Mahayana

Buddhism.
It appeared in period of strongly divergence of Mahayana
and Theravada, so it is the harmony of Mahayana and
Theravada through its message All vehicles (
Srvakayna, Pratyekayna, Boddhisattva, ect.) are only
one vehicle (Buddha vehicle)
Showing that all beings are the Buddhas to be because the
Buddha nature always exists into every being.
Through its values and influence, Lotus Sutra is
considered as the king of sutras in Mahayana Buddhism.

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