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The Lotus Sutra (Saddharmapundarika)

Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha

One of the most influential texts of East Asian Buddhism, the basis of the Tiantai/Tendai and Nichiren schools. It proclaims that the different vehicles are "skilful means" (upaya) of a single vehicle leading everyone to buddhahood, and reveals a Buddha whose life is immeasurably long: the Gotama who was born and died would be a pedagogical manifestation. Its parables—the burning house, the prodigal son, the phantom city—are among the most celebrated in religious literature.

Start readingAbout the book

English

Translated by W. E. Soothill · 40 chapters · 4 h reading

  1. 1The Lotus of the Wonderful Law1′
  2. 2THE LOTUS OF THE WONDERFUL LAW1′
  3. 3PREFACE4′
  4. 4Historical11′
  5. 5Form and Content27′
  6. 6Doctrine25′
  7. 7I5′
  8. 8II14′
  9. 9III4′
  10. 10Parable of the Burning House.16′
  11. 11IV1′
  12. 12The Prodigal Son and the Seeking Father.14′
  13. 13V6′
  14. 14VI1′
  15. 15VII6′
  16. 16The Magic City4′
  17. 17VIII3′
  18. 18IX3′
  19. 19X7′
  20. 20XI11′
  21. 21XII6′
  22. 22XIII4′
  23. 23XIV9′
  24. 24XV7′
  25. 25XVI4′
  26. 26The Parable of the Physician.4′
  27. 27XVII6′
  28. 28XVIII3′
  29. 29XIX5′
  30. 30XX3′
  31. 31XXI3′
  32. 32XXII2′
  33. 33XXIII6′
  34. 34XXIV5′
  35. 35XXV4′
  36. 36XXVI2′
  37. 37XXVII5′
  38. 38XXVIII6′
  39. 39GLOSSARY4′
  40. 40Transcriber’s Notes1′
The Lotus Sutra (Saddharmapundarika) by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha — full text · The Conscious Library