妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.26

1.26

Regarding how the chapters get their titles: the sūtra has twenty-eight chapters, namely the "Introductory Chapter", "Expedient Means Chapter", "Parable Chapter", "Faith and Understanding Chapter", "Medicinal Herbs Parable Chapter", "Bestowal of Prophecy Chapter", "Apparition of the City Parable Chapter", "Bestowal of Prophecy on Five Hundred Disciples Chapter", "Bestowal of Prophecy on Those in Training and Those Beyond Training Chapter", "Dharma Teacher Chapter", "Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa Chapter", "Devadatta Chapter", "Exhortation to Maintain Chapter", "Comfortable Conduct Chapter", "Welling Forth from the Earth Chapter", "Tathāgata's Lifespan Chapter", "Discrimination of Merits Chapter", "Rejoicing in Merits Chapter", "Merits of the Dharma Teacher Chapter", "Sadāparibhūta Bodhisattva Chapter", "Divine Powers of the Tathāgata Chapter", "Entrustment Chapter", "Former Affairs of Bhaiṣajyarāja Bodhisattva Chapter", "Gadgadasvara Bodhisattva Chapter", "Universal Gate of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva Chapter", "Dhāraṇī Chapter", "Former Affairs of King Śubhavyūha Chapter", and "Exhortations of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva Chapter". Among these chapters, they are generally divided into four categories: fifteen are named after a single meaning, ten are named after two meanings, one is named after three meanings, and two are named indeterminately. Among the fifteen named after a single meaning, there are further four sub-categories: four are named after dharmas: the "Expedient Means Chapter", "Faith and Understanding Chapter", "[Exhortation to] Maintain Chapter", and "Dhāraṇī Chapter"; three are named after parables: the "Parable Chapter", "Medicinal Herbs Parable Chapter", and "Apparition of the City Parable Chapter"; four are named after persons: the "Dharma Teacher Chapter", "Devadatta Chapter", "Sadāparibhūta Bodhisattva Chapter", and "Gadgadasvara Bodhisattva Chapter". As for the "Dharma Teacher Chapter", if it refers to a master possessing the Dharma, it falls under names based on persons; if Dharma is itself the master, or if one takes the Dharma as master, it falls under names based on dharmas—one may understand this accordingly. Four are named after events: the "Introductory Chapter", "Bestowal of Prophecy Chapter", "Welling Forth from the Earth Chapter", and "Entrustment Chapter". Among the ten named after two meanings, there are further three sub-categories: eight are named after person and dharma: "Bestowal of Prophecy on Those in Training and Those Beyond Training Chapter", "Tathāgata's Lifespan Chapter", "Merits of the Dharma Teacher Chapter", "Divine Powers of the Tathāgata Chapter", "Former Affairs of Bhaiṣajyarāja Bodhisattva Chapter", "Universal Gate of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva Chapter", "Former Affairs of King Śubhavyūha Chapter", and "Exhortations of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva Chapter"; one is named after agent and object: the "Discrimination of Merits Chapter"; one is named after cause and effect: the "Rejoicing in Merits Chapter". One is named after three meanings: the "Bestowal of Prophecy on Five Hundred Disciples Chapter". "Five hundred" is number, "disciples" is person, and "bestowal of prophecy" is event; thus it comprises three meanings. Two are named indeterminately: first, the "Comfortable Conduct Chapter"; second, the "Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa Chapter". Because the meaning of "peace and happiness" applies to both cause and fruit, and the meaning of *jian* applies to both seeing and appearing: if "peace and happiness" is in cause and *jian* means appearing, then it is among the names of a single meaning; if "peace and happiness" is in fruit and *jian* means seeing, then it is among the names of two meanings. One may understand this through careful reflection. For now, we have discriminated how they get their names according to general categories; the derivation of each name will be explained when we arrive at that chapter.