On Skillfulness in Ways & Means:

The Lotus Sūtra is regarded by many as the most profound teaching of Buddhism. It is certainly one of the great treasures of literature we have inherited from the ancient world. The second chapter, On Skillfulness in Ways & Means, is generally considered to be the oldest part of the scripture and serves as the key to understanding the rest of it.

This book is an in-depth examination of this chapter, including English translations of:

A General Introduction

The chapter itself as translated by Kumārajīva

The definitive commentary on this chapter by Zhìyǐ of the Tiāntāi School (天台宗) from his ‘Words & Passages of The Lotus Sūtra’ (C. Fǎhuá Wénjù, J. Hōkke Mongu, 法華文句)

Other commentaries on ‘The Ten Aspects’

Early interpretations of ‘the transcendental meaning of the mutually dependent aspects found in all of life’s purposes’ (S. sarva dharma tattvasya lakṣaṇa, C. zhūfǎ shíxiāng, J. shohō jissō, 諸法實相), attributed to Nāgārjuna and Vasubandhu

A passage from volume 2 of Zhìyǐ’s ‘Profound Meaning of The Lotus Sūtra’ (C. Fǎhuá Xuányì, J. Hokke Gengi, 法華玄義), describing the ten mutually dependent aspects in relation to the ten-fold sphere of life’s purpose (S. daśa dharma dhātu, 十法界)

A passage from volume 3 of ‘The Profound Meaning of The Lotus Sūtra’ describing these ten aspects in terms of the twelve mutually dependent conditions that cause the arising of the afflicted nature of sentient existence an the four truths about the nature of life’s purpose (S. dharmatā, 法性)

A passage from volume 7 of ‘The Profound Meaning of The Lotus Sūtra’, with the lotus illustrating these ten aspects as the mutually dependent conditions found in the nature of the Buddha’s spiritual life (S. dharma kāya, 法身)

A passage from volume 5 of Zhìyǐ’s ‘Greatness of Meditation With Introspection & Stillness of Mind’ that explains these ten aspects in terms of his ultimate meditation system, the three thousand aspects of life’s purpose in a single moment of thought

Additional features:

Commentaries on passages in this chapter from ‘The Oral Transmission of the Meaning’, said to be given by Nichiren to his disciple Nikkō

Comprehensive footnotes that offer a background on Buddhist concepts and history relevant to the subject.

Click here for the table of contents:

This book serves as a companion piece to On Measuring the Lifespan of The One Who Has Descended Into This World, on the sixteenth chapter of The Lotus Sūtra.

It is available in two versions: a black & white edition and a special edition with the scripture’s text in color.