Lotus Sutra

Lotus Sutra, or Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra in Sanskrit

The Lotus Sūtra, literally Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma, is one of the most popular and influential Mahayana sutras, and the basis on which the Tiantai, Tendai, Cheontae, and Nichiren schools of Buddhism were established. For many East Asian Buddhists, the Lotus Sūtra contains the ultimate and complete teaching of the Buddha and the recitation of the text is understood to bring auspicious fortune and eradicate ones accumulated negative karma.

The sutra emphasizes that all these seemingly different teachings are actually just skillful applications of the one Dharma and thus all constitute the "One Buddha Vehicle and knowledge of all modes". The Lotus sutra sees all other teachings are subservient to, propagated by and in the service of the ultimate truth of the One Vehicle leading to Buddhahood. The Lotus Sūtra also claims to be superior to other sūtras and states that full Buddhahood is only arrived at by exposure to its teachings and skillful means.

There are 28 Chapters in total for Lotus Sutra, namely:

Ch. 1, Introduction

Ch. 2, Ways and Means

Ch. 3, A Parable

Ch. 4, Faith and Understanding

Ch. 5, Parable of the plants

Ch. 6, Assurances of Becoming a Buddha

Ch. 7, The Magic City

Ch. 8, Assurances for 500 Arhats

Ch. 9, Assurances for the Trainees and Adepts.

Ch. 10, Teacher of the Dharma

Ch. 11, The Treasure stupa

Ch. 12, Devadatta

Ch. 13, Encouragement to uphold the sutra

Ch. 14, Peace and Contentment

Ch. 15, Springing Up from the Earth

Ch. 16, The eternal lifespan of the Tathagata

Ch. 17, Merits and Virtues of enlightenment

Ch. 18, Merits and Virtues of Joyful Acceptance

Ch. 19, Merits and Virtues obtained by a Teacher of the Dharma

Ch. 20, The Bodhisattva Sadāparibhūta

Ch. 21, The Spiritual Power of the Tathagata

Ch. 22, The Passing of the Commission

Ch. 23, The Bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja

Ch. 24, The Bodhisattva Gadgadasvara

Ch. 25, The Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara

Ch. 26, Dhāraṇī

Ch. 27, King Wonderfully Adorned

Ch. 28, Encouragement of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra