LS32

Day 31

Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

This is one of my favorite chapters. I enjoy the story of the sons doing the work of the Buddha to make it possible for their father to “understand the Dharma by faith” and the lesson that “The good men or women who plant the roots of good will obtain teachers in their successive lives.”

Today, though, I was struck by the realization that the Buddha speaks to everyone, not just to one segment of the gathering or a specific individual. In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha addresses everyone only in Chapters 12, Devadatta; 16, The Duration of the Life of the Tathagata; and 27, King Wonderful Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

  1. Introductory – “Thus have I heard.”
  2. Expedients – addresses Sariputra
  3. A Parable – Sariputra speaks
  4. Understanding by Faith – “men living the life of wisdom…” speak
  5. The Simile of Herbs – addresses Maha-Kasyapa
  6. Assurance of Future Buddhahood – addresses bhiksus
  7. The Parable of a Magic City – addresses bhiksus
  8. The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Five Hundred Disciples – Purna speaks
  9. The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Sravakas Who Have Something More to Learns and the Sravakas Who Have Nothing More to Learn – Ananda and Rahula speak
  10. The Teacher of the Dharma – addresses Medicine-King Bodhisattva
  11. Beholding the Stupa of Treasures – event
  12. Devadatta – addresses “Bodhisattvas, gods, men and the four kinds of devotees”
  13. Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra – Medicine-King and Great-Eloquence Bodhisattva-mahasattvas speak
  14. Peaceful Practices – Manjusri Bodhisattva-mahasattva speaks
  15. The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground – Bodhisattva-mahasattvas speak
  16. The Duration of the Life of the Tathagata – addresses “the great multitude including Bodhisattvas and others”
  17. The Variety of Merits – addresses Maitreya
  18. The Merits of a Person Who Rejoices at Hearing This Sutra – Maitreya speaks
  19. The Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma – addresses Constant-Endeavor Bodhisattva-mahasattva
  20. Never-Despising Bodhisattva – addresses Great-Power-Obtainer Bodhisattva-mahasattva
  21. The Supernatural Powers of the Tathagata – Bodhisattvas from underground speak
  22. Transmission – addresses bodhisattvas
  23. The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva – Star-King-Flower Bodhisattva speaks
  24. Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva – event (emitted rays of light)
  25. The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva – Endless-Intent Bodhisattva speaks
  26. Dharanis – Medicine-King Bodhisattva speaks
  27. King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a  Bodhisattva – addresses “the great multitude”
  28. The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva – Universal-Sage Bodhisattva speaks