Until Chapter 11 when the Stupa of Treasures arrives, both translations contain the same chapters. At this point Kern and Kumārajīva diverge. Kumārajīva adds a 12th chapter telling the story of Devadatta and the Dragon King’s Daughter, while Kern just includes this material at the end of the chapter on the arrival of the Stupa of Treasures.
From this point through Kumārajīva’s Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas, Kumārajīva and Kern offer the same content but with Kern’s chapter numbers one less than Kumārajīva’s.
Where Kumārajīva has Chapter 22, Transmission, Kern has his Dhāraṇīs chapter, which he titles Spells.
The next three chapters – Previous life of Medicine King, Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva and World Voice Perceiver – correspond between Kumārajīva and Kern, again with Kern’s numbers one less than Kumārajīva’s.
Kumārajīva’s final three chapters begin with Dhāraṇīs while Kern concludes with his Transmission chapter, The Period. Both include the story of King Wonderful Adornment and the Encouragement of Universal Sage with Kern’s chapter numbers now two less than Kumārajīva’s .
| # | Kumārajīva | Kern | # |
| 1 | Introductory | Introductory | 1 |
| 2 | Expedients | Skillfulness | 2 |
| 3 | A Parable | A Parable | 3 |
| 4 | Understanding by Faith | Disposition | 4 |
| 5 | The Simile of Herbs | On Plants | 5 |
| 6 | Assurance of Future Buddhahood | Announcement of Future Destiny | 6 |
| 7 | The Parable of a Magic City | Ancient Devotion (Magic City) | 7 |
| 8 | The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Five Hundred Disciples | Announcement of the Future Destiny of the Five Hundred Monks | 8 |
| 9 | The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Śrāvakas Who Have Something More to Learn and the Śrāvakas Who Have Nothing More to Learn | Announcement of the Future Destiny Of Ānanda, Rahula, and the Two Thousand Monks | 9 |
| 10 | The Teacher of the Dharma | The Preacher | 10 |
| 11 | Beholding the Stūpa of Treasures | Apparition of a Stūpa (includes Devadatta and Dragon King’s Daughter at end) | 11 |
| 12 | Devadatta | ||
| 13 | Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra | Exertion | 12 |
| 14 | Peaceful Practices | Peaceful Life | 13 |
| 15 | The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground | Issuing of Bodhisattvas from the Gaps of the Earth | 14 |
| 16 | The Duration of the Life of the Tathāgata | Duration of the Life of the Tathāgata | 15 |
| 17 | The Variety of Merits | Of Piety | 16 |
| 18 | The Merits of a Person Who Rejoices at Hearing This Sutra | Indication of the Meritoriousness of Joyful Acceptance | 17 |
| 19 | The Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma | The Advantages of a Religious Preacher | 18 |
| 20 | Never-Despising Bodhisattva | Sadāparibhūta | 19 |
| 21 | The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas | Conception of the Transcendent Power of the Tathāgatas | 20 |
| 22 | Transmission | Spells (Dhāraṇīs) | 21 |
| 23 | The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva | Ancient Devotion of Bhaiṣajyarāja | 22 |
| 24 | Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva | Gadgadasvara | 23 |
| 25 | The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva | Chapter Called that of the All-Sided One, Containing a Description of the Transformations of Avalokiteśvara | 24 |
| 26 | Dhāraṇīs | Ancient Devotion (King Śubhavyūha) | 25 |
| 27 | King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva | Encouragement of Samantabhadra | 26 |
| 28 | The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva | The Period (Transmission) | 27 |