Since faith is internal, it only becomes visible when expressed through some action or practice. In the case of the Lotus Sūtra, the practices that render faith in the sūtra visible are reflected in the five practices of bodhisattvas described in Chapter 10, “The Teacher of the Dharma.” These are receiving and keeping, reading aloud, reciting, expounding, and copying the Lotus Sūtra. Naturally these are not mere expressions of faith. If one believes from one’s heart the message of the Lotus Sūtra that anyone can achieve buddhahood, then one will always carry the Lotus Sūtra and memorize its words deeply in one’s heart. This is what it means “to receive and keep the sūtra” or sometimes “to memorize and keep the sūtra.”

The practices do not end there. One can help others to hear the teachings by reading aloud from the Lotus Sūtra, or by reciting what one has memorized from the sūtra. If someone who hears the words of the sūtra says he or she wants to know more about the contents, one can then expound it. Then the best way to spread the sūtra over a wide area is to produce many copies. Therefore, these five methods are practices for the benefit of others. They reflect a base of faith in the Lotus Sūtra and are the practices of a bodhisattva. Since they are the practices of a bodhisattva, they are also the actions which lead one to achieve buddhahood. That means that when one continues these practices through countless cycles, the goal of becoming a buddha awaits.

More importantly, the five practices of bodhisattvas lead others to buddhahood. By first teaching others the central theme of the Lotus Sūtra, that all can become buddhas, then implanting in them the realization that they themselves can also achieve buddhahood. Bodhisattvas embody the five practices, simultaneously working towards achieving both their own buddhahood and that of others. By extension, the five practices of bodhisattvas continuously widen the circle of these practices. In that point, we find the meaning of the practices.

In the Lotus Sūtra, the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are taught that they should walk the path of the bodhisattva, by continuing the practices of bodhisattvas. If they continued to do so into the far distant future, in some future world they could realize their dreams to become a buddha.

What are the bodhisattvas’ practices? Their foundation demands a firm faith in the Lotus Sūtra. This means that bodhisattvas must trust what the Lotus Sūtra asserts most strongly. They must believe that every person possesses the innate possibility to achieve buddhahood.

This concept is difficult to believe and difficult to understand. Śākyamuni Buddha says this to Śāriputra, the wisest of his disciples.

“Even you, Śāriputra,
Have understood this sūtra
Only by faith.
Needless to say,
The other Śrāvakas cannot do otherwise.
They will be able to follow this sūtra
Only because they believe my words,
Not because they have wisdom.”

Even Śāriputra cannot understand this concept, that all people can achieve buddhahood, only by thinking. It therefore must be much more difficult for anyone else. This fact that there is not one person who cannot become a buddha is an unmistakable truth that Śākyamuni has understood through the wisdom of the buddhas. Therefore, the message is that you can fully receive this truth only by faith.

In Chapter 2, “Expedients,” Śākyamuni Buddha finally begins to clarify the true purpose he had been concealing all this time. This is “Opening the three vehicles to reveal the One Vehicle.” Before this he had taught that there was an absolute dividing line between bodhisattvas and the other two groups. However, this was an expedient to lead the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas in the right direction. For the Buddha’s purpose, all the various teachings up to that point had been part of his plan to lead all people to become buddhas, that is, the teaching of the “One Buddha Vehicle.” No matter how they appeared superficially, no matter how they were received by the listener, from the point of view of the teacher Śākyamuni Buddha, all the teachings up to that point had been in reality none other than the teachings of the One Vehicle. Following his own vow, Śākyamuni Buddha himself had worked consistently to help all people achieve buddhahood.

Śāriputra! There is not a second vehicle in the worlds of the ten quarters. How can there be a third? … Therefore, the Buddhas divide the One Buddha-Vehicle into three as an expedient.

“Know this Śāriputra!
I once vowed that I would cause
All living beings to become
Exactly as I am.”

Now that this point had become clear, the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas had to abandon the misunderstanding that they were following lesser vehicles. That is because Śākyamuni Buddha had been continuing to lead the two groups as bodhisattvas so that they could become buddhas.

“I say to you:
‘I will expound the teaching of the One Vehicle Only to Bodhisattvas.
There is no Śrāvaka among my disciples.’ “

Therefore, the two groups now came to realize that with the teaching of the One Vehicle as their guide, they could become bodhisattvas with the possibility of becoming buddhas.

Having thus described the distinction between the three groups as an expedient, Śākyamuni Buddha revealed the true one meaning of all his teachings. We call such unifying the separate meanings of all teachings “opening the three vehicles to reveal the One Vehicle.”

All the teachings after the “Expedients” chapter are called the “true Mahāyāna teachings.” This is because they clarify the true purpose of the Buddha by showing that anyone can become a buddha, and by showing the method for becoming a buddha.

Of the many śrāvakas, Śāriputra is said to be the wisest. The Buddha tells Śāriputra that the wisdom of the Buddhas is something beyond his understanding. That means that for all the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas, the wisdom of the Buddhas is also beyond their understanding. The wisdom of the Buddhas attains the reality of all things, which cannot be put into words. This is because at the beginning of Chapter Two the Buddha says of all things, their appearances as such, their natures as such, their entities as such, etc. He only says, “as such,” because the reality of all things can be attained only by the buddhas.

Although the Buddha says this, buddhas do not monopolize the wisdom of the Buddhas. As Śākyamuni Buddha says at the beginning of Chapter Two, to convey to others the wisdom of the buddhas, which cannot be expressed in words, he has taught many things by mixing words, metaphors, similes, and tales of origin and fate. On the other hand, he emphasizes strongly that the various teachings which comprise the so-called “gate” to the wisdom of the buddhas are extremely difficult to understand, and therefore, the gate is difficult to enter.

[G]rand Master Tiāntái divides the Lotus Sūtra into two different patterns of kamon, “one sūtra, three sections” and “two gates, six sections.” …

First, consider “one sūtra, three sections.” This method of interpretation divides the Lotus Sūtra into an introduction, a main part, and a concluding section urging propagation of the sūtra. The introduction explains why the sūtra was taught and the necessity of the sūtra. The main part is the body, which contains the most important teachings of the sūtra. The concluding section teaches methods and merits and urges readers to spread the message of the sūtra.

Next, we consider “two gates, six sections.” This kamon divides the Lotus Sūtra into the Trace Gate, shakumon in Japanese, as the first half of the sūtra, and the Original Gate, honmon in Japanese, as the latter half of the sūtra. In The Trace Gate, Śākyamuni Buddha does not yet reveal his eternal nature, but appears as a being bound by limitations of time and space. The Original Gate reveals the eternal nature of the Buddha.

Shaku means a track, such as a deer track. It can be also mean a shadow. Therefore, the teachings of the Trace Gate are mere tracks or shadows, with the real Buddha still in hiding. On the other hand, the teachings in the Original Gate are the teachings of Buddha in his true state. In the “two gates, six sections” method of interpretation, the two “gates” of the Trace Gate and Original Gate are each divided into an introduction, a main part and a concluding section as explained regarding “one sūtra, three sections.”

In some cases the Lotus Sūtra is divided by the change in location of Śākyamuni Buddha’s teachings and the accompanying change in the lessons taught. From Chapter 1, “Introductory,” to the middle of Chapter 11, “Beholding the Stūpa of Treasures,” the Buddha is teaching on Mt. Sacred Eagle. This is referred to as the “Former Assembly on Mt. Sacred Eagle,” in Japanese zenryōzen-e. … From the middle of “Beholding Stupa of Treasures,” the assembly moves into space. This is called the “Assembly in Space,” in Japanese kokū-e. The Assembly in Space continues until Chapter 22, “Transmission.” Then from Chapter 23, “The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva” to the final chapter, Chapter 28, “The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva,” the assembly returns to Mt. Sacred Eagle. This is called the “Latter Assembly on Mt. Sacred Eagle.” In this way, the Lotus Sūtra can be divided into three assemblies at two locations, and this method of division is called “two locations, three assemblies,” in Japanese nisho san-e.

The Japanese term Kamon literally means “divide literature.” Ka means “to divide.” Kamon is an expression used to explain this process: first, sūtras or works explaining sutras are divided into sections. Then each division is expressed by a brief explanation of the contents. At the end of this process, the composition and gist of the entire work can be presented briefly.

In Chinese Buddhism, it was thought that this process was a necessary element when presenting one’s personal interpretation of sūtras or of works explaining sūtras. Many such kamon regarding the Lotus Sūtra were presented. The most famous, and the one with the greatest influence, was that expressed by Grand Master Tiāntái. Nichiren Shōnin built his theories based on the kamon of Tendai Daishi.

[T]he Lotus Sūtra was originally written in India, in Sanskrit, the holy language of ancient India. The original is called Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra. “Saddharma” means “correct teaching,” and “pundarika” means “white lotus flower.” The original sūtra was transmitted to China, and translated into ancient Chinese. The following three Chinese translations exist today.

1. Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the True Dharma – 286 CE, translated by Dharmarakṣa, (born in the 230’s CE, died at age 78.), Ten volumes, 27 chapters.
2. Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma – 406 CE, translated by Kumārajīva (344-413 CE or 350-409 CE), Seven volumes, 27 chapters. Later enlarged edition consists of eight volumes, 28 chapters.
3. Appended Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma – 601 CE, translated by Jñānagupta, (523-605 CE) and Dharmagupta (d. 619 CE), Seven volumes, 27 chapters.

The translation with which we are most familiar is the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. Even in ancient China, if one mentioned the Lotus Sūtra, usually the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma was meant. The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the True Dharma is older, but the translation was difficult to read, and did not spread widely. The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma was written in a natural style, and was widely accepted as the standard translation. While the original translation by Kumārajīva was seven volumes and 27 chapters, by the beginning of the 7th century CE, the previously omitted Chapter 12, “Devadatta,” and the gāthā of Chapter 25, “The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva,” had been restored, and the text took its present form.

The Appended Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma was an attempt to retranslate the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma from the original Sanskrit text. The translation is almost the same as the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, but it supplements the parts lacking in it, and the order of the chapters is closer to that of the original text. However, because the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma had already spread so widely, the Appended Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma did not gain popularity.

There is a belief that the Lotus Sūtra was taught over eight years at the end of the life of Śākyamuni Buddha. From the standpoint of the believer, this position is fine. However, from an academic standpoint, we cannot assert such a thing. A Buddhist historian would assert that there is no evidence that the historical Śākyamuni Buddha taught the Lotus Sūtra. In other words, the Lotus Sūtra is not a direct record of the historical Śākyamuni Buddha’s teaching. In that case, when, where and by whom was the Lotus Sūtra produced?

[W]e can present the standard answer that the Lotus Sūtra was one of the Early Mahāyāna sūtras, created in India around 100-200 CE. Was it created in a relatively short period of time, or was it gradually compiled and revised over a longer period of time? Who or what group compiled the Lotus Sūtra into one work? Regarding such issues, many academic theories have been presented, and opinions are certainly not in accord. But as this issue is beside the point of this chapter, we will skip over the many theories.

Nevertheless we would like to pose a rather mean question. What if the Lotus Sūtra was not directly taught by the historical Śākyamuni Buddha, but was created in the form of Śākyamuni Buddha’s direct teachings? In other words, the Lotus Sūtra is written in the form of lectures by Buddha, but from an academic standpoint, we cannot easily accept the contents as the words of the Buddha. In this case, if we are asked, “Should we only consider sūtras that we can affirm were taught by the historical Śākyamuni Buddha as legitimate Buddhist sūtras?” What shall we answer? It is a difficult question to answer in a nutshell. But it is a question related to the root of faith.

The first issue addressed by the Lotus Sūtra can be summarized as follows:

Should śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas remain unable to attain buddhahood? Is it permissible to cut them off as a group with low aspirations? Isn’t that against the concept that Mahāyāna Buddhists should aspire for the attainment of buddhahood not only for themselves, but also for a wide range of others?

The Lotus Sūtra responds to this issue by teaching the “opening the three vehicles to reveal the One Vehicle” idea in Chapter 2, “Expedients,” and the “obtainment of buddhahood by the people of the two vehicles” based upon this idea. …

Here is the second issue addressed by the Lotus Sūtra:

In Mahāyāna Buddhism various buddhas appear. These include Śākyamuni Buddha, Bhaiśājyaguru or Medicine Master Buddha, and Amitābha or the Buddha of Infinite Light. This means many Buddhas exist. In the text of the Lotus Sūtra, many buddhas appear who existed in the past, exist now, and will exist in every direction. What is the relationship between these buddhas?

The Lotus Sūtra responds with the teaching of “opening the near to reveal the far” in Chapter 16, “The Duration of the Life of the Tathāgata.” In this chapter, Śākyamuni Buddha explains that in a far distant time in the past, he achieved buddhahood. Since then and into the eternal future he continues to work towards the salvation of others as the so-called Eternal Buddha. He also states that the buddhas who existed in the past, exist now, and will exist in every direction are all parts of the Eternal Buddha. In other words, the Eternal Śākyamuni Buddha is fixed as the basic unifying Buddha for all the buddhas who existed in the past, exist now, and will exist in every direction.

Mahāyāna Buddhists criticized Nikāya Buddhism as follows: The two groups, śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, comprise a so-called Hinayāna or lesser vehicle. Their purpose is solely for their own benefit, not the benefit of others; the salvation that they seek is only theirs. On the other hand, bodhisattvas comprise the so-called Mahāyāna or greater vehicle. This is because their aim is to lead others to salvation through their practice of Buddhism, with the benefit of others as their top priority. From the position of the Mahāyāna, śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas can never become buddhas. This is because they avoid practices for the benefit of others which are necessary to become a buddha. Only the bodhisattvas, who work for the benefit of others, have the capacity to become buddhas.