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.
- Introductory – “Thus have I heard.”
- Expedients – addresses Sariputra
- A Parable – Sariputra speaks
- Understanding by Faith – “men living the life of wisdom…” speak
- The Simile of Herbs – addresses Maha-Kasyapa
- Assurance of Future Buddhahood – addresses bhiksus
- The Parable of a Magic City – addresses bhiksus
- The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Five Hundred Disciples – Purna speaks
- 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
- The Teacher of the Dharma – addresses Medicine-King Bodhisattva
- Beholding the Stupa of Treasures – event
- Devadatta – addresses “Bodhisattvas, gods, men and the four kinds of devotees”
- Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra – Medicine-King and Great-Eloquence Bodhisattva-mahasattvas speak
- Peaceful Practices – Manjusri Bodhisattva-mahasattva speaks
- The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground – Bodhisattva-mahasattvas speak
- The Duration of the Life of the Tathagata – addresses “the great multitude including Bodhisattvas and others”
- The Variety of Merits – addresses Maitreya
- The Merits of a Person Who Rejoices at Hearing This Sutra – Maitreya speaks
- The Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma – addresses Constant-Endeavor Bodhisattva-mahasattva
- Never-Despising Bodhisattva – addresses Great-Power-Obtainer Bodhisattva-mahasattva
- The Supernatural Powers of the Tathagata – Bodhisattvas from underground speak
- Transmission – addresses bodhisattvas
- The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva – Star-King-Flower Bodhisattva speaks
- Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva – event (emitted rays of light)
- The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva – Endless-Intent Bodhisattva speaks
- Dharanis – Medicine-King Bodhisattva speaks
- King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva – addresses “the great multitude”
- The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva – Universal-Sage Bodhisattva speaks