添品妙法蓮華經

Chapter 3: PARABLE

At that time, Shariputra was filled with immense joy. He immediately rose, joined his palms, gazed reverently upon the Buddha’s honored countenance, and said:

“Today, having heard this voice of Dharma from the World-Honored One, I rejoice greatly and have attained what I never had before. Why is this? In the past, I followed the Buddha and heard such Dharma. I saw the bodhisattvas receive predictions that they would attain Buddhahood, while we had no part in this; therefore, I grieved over having lost the immeasurable wisdom and insight of the Tathagata.

“World-Honored One! I often dwelt alone beneath trees in mountain forests. Whether sitting or walking, I always reflected: ‘We have all equally entered the Dharma-nature; why does the Tathagata save us only by means of the Lesser Vehicle Dharma?’ This was our fault, not the fault of the World-Honored One. Why? Had we waited to hear the Buddha explain the causes and conditions for attaining the fruit of unsurpassed bodhi, we would certainly have been liberated by means of the Great Vehicle. But we did not clearly understand that the Buddha teaches the Dharma through skillful means, according to what is appropriate for each capacity. Therefore, as soon as we heard the Buddha teach the Dharma, we believed, contemplated, and accepted the attainment presented to us.

“World-Honored One! From the past until now, I have always reproached myself. Today, I have heard the Buddha teach a Dharma never encountered or heard before. All my doubts have immediately been extinguished, and my body and mind are exceedingly serene, peaceful, and secure. Only now do I know that I am truly a child of the Buddha, born from the Buddha’s mouth, born through transformation from the Dharma, and that I have received a share of the Buddha’s Dharma.”

At that time, to restate this meaning, Shariputra spoke in verse:

I hear this voice of Dharma

And attain what I never had before;

My heart is filled with immense joy,

And the net of doubt is wholly removed.

From long ago, through the Buddha’s teaching,

I have not lost the Great Vehicle Dharma.

The Buddha’s voice is exceedingly rare,

Relieving the sufferings of sentient beings.

I have already ended all outflows;

Hearing the Dharma, my sorrow is gone.

I dwelt within mountain caves

Or beneath trees in the forest.

Whether sitting or walking in meditation,

I constantly reflected upon this matter:

“Alas, how blameworthy this is!

Why did I belittle myself?

We too are children of the Buddha

And have equally entered the outflow-free Dharma,

Yet in the future we shall not

Expound the unsurpassed Way.

The golden hue and thirty-two marks,

The Ten Powers and the liberations—

Though we share in the very same Dharma,

We shall not attain these things.

The eighty excellent characteristics,

The eighteen unique qualities,

And merits such as these—

All of them I have lost.”

While walking in meditation alone,

I saw the Buddha amid the great assembly,

His praises filling the ten directions,

Bringing benefit to all sentient beings.

Thinking that I had lost this benefit,

I deemed that I had deceived myself.

Throughout every day and night,

I constantly reflected upon this matter.

I wished to ask the World-Honored One

Whether I had lost it or not.

I constantly saw the World-Honored One

Praise the bodhisattvas;

Therefore, throughout the days and nights,

I pondered this matter.

Today I hear the Buddha teach,

Expounding the Dharma according to capacities—

Outflow-free and inconceivable—

Leading beings to the place of enlightenment.

In the past, I held wrong views

And was a teacher of brahmins.

The World-Honored One knew my mind,

Removed my error, and taught nirvana.

I cast off all wrong views

And realized the Dharma of emptiness.

At that time, I told myself

That I had attained cessation,

But only now do I understand

That it was not true cessation.

When I attain the fruit of Buddhahood,

Endowed with the thirty-two marks,

And devas, humans, yakshas,

Dragons, and spirits all pay reverence,

Only then may it be said

That all has been completely ended.

The Buddha, amid the great assembly,

Declared that I shall become a Buddha.

Hearing such a voice of Dharma,

All my doubts were removed.

When I first heard the Buddha speak,

My heart was greatly fearful and doubtful:

Could Mara be impersonating the Buddha

To disturb and confuse my mind?

The Buddha, through many causes and conditions

And skillfully presented parables,

Made my mind as tranquil as the sea;

As I listened, the net of doubt was severed.

The Buddha said that in ages past,

After immeasurable Buddhas entered cessation,

They abided in skillful means

And likewise taught this Dharma.

The Buddhas of the present and future,

Immeasurable in number,

Also employ various skillful means

To expound this Dharma.

Just as the World-Honored One today,

From birth to renunciation,

Attaining the Way and turning the Dharma wheel,

Has likewise taught through skillful means.

The Buddha teaches the true Way,

Which Papiyan could never proclaim.

Therefore, I know with certainty

That it was not Mara impersonating the Buddha.

I had fallen into the net of doubt

And thought this was Mara’s doing.

But hearing the Buddha’s gentle voice,

Profound and exceedingly wondrous,

Clearly expounding the pure Dharma,

My heart was filled with immense joy.

All my doubts were completely removed,

And I abide securely in true wisdom.

I shall certainly attain Buddhahood

And receive the reverence of devas and humans;

I shall turn the unsurpassed Dharma wheel

And teach and transform the bodhisattvas.

At that time, the Buddha said to Shariputra:

“Before this great assembly of devas, humans, shramanas, and brahmins, I now declare: Long ago, in the presence of two hundred thousand kotis of Buddhas, for the sake of the unsurpassed Way, I constantly taught and transformed you. You also followed me and studied for a long time, and I guided you by skillful means into my Dharma.

“Shariputra! Long ago, I taught you to aspire to the Buddha Way, but you forgot it all and said to yourself that you had attained cessation. Today, wishing to cause you to recall your original vow and the Way you practiced, I teach for the shravakas this Great Vehicle sutra called the Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma, the Dharma for Instructing Bodhisattvas, Which Is Protected and Kept in Mind by the Buddhas.

“Shariputra! In the future, after immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable kalpas, when you have made offerings to so many thousands of myriads of kotis of Buddhas, upheld the true Dharma, and fully practiced the bodhisattva path, you shall become a Buddha named Flower-Light Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Awakened, Perfect in Wisdom and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One.

Your land shall be called Free from Defilement. That realm shall be level, pure, beautiful, peaceful, secure, prosperous, and joyful, and it shall be filled with devas and humans. Its ground shall be made of lapis lazuli.

It shall have eight intersecting roads bordered with cords of pure gold, and along both sides of the roads shall stand rows of trees made of the seven treasures, always bearing flowers and fruit. The Tathagata Flower-Light shall also teach and transform sentient beings by means of the Three Vehicles.

“Shariputra! Although the age in which that Buddha appears will not be an evil age, because of his original vow he will teach the Dharma of the Three Vehicles. That kalpa shall be called Adorned with Great Treasures. Why shall it be called Adorned with Great Treasures? Because that land shall regard bodhisattvas as its great treasures. Those bodhisattvas shall be immeasurable, boundless, and inconceivable; neither calculation nor analogy shall be able to encompass their number. Apart from the wisdom of a Buddha, no one shall be able to know it. Whenever they wish to walk, flowers shall support their feet.

“Those bodhisattvas shall not be newly resolved upon enlightenment, but shall have planted roots of merit long ago. In the presence of immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of Buddhas, they shall have practiced pure conduct and shall constantly be praised by the Buddhas. They shall fully cultivate the Buddha’s wisdom, possess great powers of spiritual penetration, and thoroughly understand all Dharma-gates. They shall be upright, without deceit, and firm in aspiration and mindfulness. Bodhisattvas such as these shall fill that land.

“Shariputra! The lifespan of the Buddha Flower-Light shall be twelve minor kalpas, excluding the time when he is still a prince and has not yet attained Buddhahood. The people of that land shall have lifespans of eight minor kalpas. After twelve minor kalpas, the Tathagata Flower-Light shall bestow upon the bodhisattva Firm-Fullness a prediction of unsurpassed bodhi, saying to the bhikshus:

“‘This bodhisattva Firm-Fullness shall next become a Buddha named Flower-Foot Peacefully-Walking, Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Awakened. His Buddha-land shall also be like this one. His true Dharma shall remain in the world for thirty-two minor kalpas, and his semblance Dharma shall also remain for thirty-two minor kalpas.’

At that time, to restate this meaning, the World-Honored One spoke in verse:

In a future age, Shariputra

Shall become a Buddha of universal wisdom,

Whose name shall be Flower-Light,

And he shall liberate immeasurable beings.

Having made offerings to countless Buddhas

And perfected the bodhisattva practices,

The Ten Powers, and all virtues,

He shall realize the unsurpassed Way.

After immeasurable kalpas have passed,

In the kalpa Adorned with Great Treasures,

There shall be a world named Free from Defilement,

Pure and without stain.

Its ground shall be made of lapis lazuli,

Golden cords shall border its roads,

And trees of the seven treasures, radiant in every color

There are always precious flowers and fruits.

The bodhisattvas of this land

Are ever steadfast in resolve and mindfulness;

In spiritual powers and paramitas,

They have all attained perfection.

In countless Buddha lands,

They skillfully cultivate the bodhisattva path.

Such bodhisattvas as these

Will be taught and transformed by the Buddha Flower Light.

When that Buddha was still a prince,

He relinquished his kingdom and its splendor;

In his final existence,

He renounced the household life and attained Buddhahood.

The Buddha Flower Light will abide in the world

For twelve minor kalpas.

The people in his land

Will live for eight minor kalpas.

After that Buddha enters nirvana,

The True Dharma will remain in the world

For thirty-two minor kalpas,

Teaching and transforming sentient beings.

When the True Dharma has entirely vanished,

The Semblance Dharma will last for thirty-two minor kalpas.

His relics will be disseminated everywhere,

And devas and humans will all make offerings to them.

The teaching and transformation of the Buddha Flower Light

Will in every respect be thus.

That Sage, the Honored One Perfect in the Twofold Excellence,

Will be supreme and without equal.

That Buddha will be none other than you;

You should therefore rejoice.

At that time, the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, and upasikas, as well as the great multitude of devas, nagas, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, and others, saw Sariputra receive before the Buddha the prediction that he would attain unsurpassed bodhi. They all rejoiced exceedingly, and each removed his or her upper robe and offered it to the Buddha. Sakra, Lord of the Devas, Brahma, King of the Devas, and countless sons of devas likewise offered the Buddha exquisite heavenly garments and celestial mandarava and mahamandarava flowers.

The heavenly garments they cast aloft remained suspended in space and revolved by themselves, while hundreds of thousands of myriads of kinds of celestial music sounded simultaneously in the sky. They showered down various celestial flowers and said: “Long ago, in the city of Varanasi, the Buddha first turned the Dharma wheel; today he turns once again the supreme and greatest Dharma wheel.” At that time, wishing to restate this meaning, the sons of devas spoke in verse:

Long ago, in Varanasi,

You turned the Dharma wheel of the Four Truths,

Discerningly expounding all dharmas,

The arising and cessation of the five skandhas.

Now once again you turn the Dharma wheel,

Unsurpassed and supremely excellent.

This Dharma is profound, subtle, and wondrous;

Few are able to believe it.

From times past until now,

We have often heard the World-Honored One teach,

Yet never before have we heard the True Dharma

So profound and wondrous as this.

The World-Honored One has proclaimed this Dharma,

And we all rejoice in accord.

Sariputra of great wisdom

Has received the Buddha’s prediction.

We too shall likewise

Certainly attain Buddhahood,

Supreme throughout all worlds,

With none equal in honor.

The Buddha path is inconceivable,

And is taught through skillful means according to what is fitting.

Whatever merit we have created,

In this life or in former lives,

And the merit of encountering the Buddha,

We dedicate entirely to the Buddha path.

At that time, Sariputra addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! I no longer have any doubts, for here in the Buddha’s presence I have personally received the prediction of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Yet these twelve hundred whose minds are self-mastered—in the past, when they were still at the stage of learning, the Buddha constantly taught them: ‘My teaching has the power to free you from birth, old age, sickness, and death, enabling you to attain nirvana completely.’ These persons, both those with more to learn and those with no more to learn, have themselves also abandoned attachment to self, as well as attachment to existence, nonexistence, and the like, and believed that they had attained nirvana.

Today, in the presence of the World-Honored One, they have heard what they had never heard before, and they have all fallen into confusion.

“Excellent, World-Honored One! I beseech you to explain this cause and condition for the fourfold assembly, so that we may be freed from doubt.”

The Buddha then said to Sariputra:

“Did I not previously say that all Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, expound the Dharma through various causes and conditions, parables, expressions, and skillful means, all for the sake of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment? Everything that has been said was for teaching and transforming bodhisattvas. Nevertheless, Sariputra, I shall use a parable to clarify this meaning. Those who possess wisdom will understand through this parable.

“Sariputra, suppose that in a village, town, or kingdom there was a great elder, advanced in years and possessed of immeasurable wealth, many fields, gardens, houses, and servants. His house was vast, but it had only one door. Many people—one hundred, two hundred, even as many as five hundred—dwelt together within it. Its towers and chambers had decayed, its walls were crumbling, its pillars were rotting, and its beams and rafters were leaning and collapsing. Suddenly, fire broke out on every side and set the house ablaze.

“The elder’s children—perhaps ten, twenty, or as many as thirty—were inside that house. Seeing the great fire rising on every side, the elder was alarmed and thought: ‘I can safely escape through the doorway of this burning house, but my children are inside, delighting in play. They are unaware, unafraid, and feel no apprehension. Although the fire draws near and threatens their bodies, bringing excruciating pain, their minds feel no aversion, and they have no wish to leave.’

“Sariputra, the elder then thought: ‘My body and arms are strong. I could carry them out of the house in the folds of my robe or upon a sturdy board.’

“Again he thought: ‘This house has only one door, and it is narrow. The children are young and ignorant, concerned only with playing; they may stumble and fall and be burned by the great fire. For their sake, I must tell them of this dreadful danger. This house is already burning, so they must quickly leave; otherwise, they will be consumed by the flames.’ Having thought thus, he said to his children:

“‘Come out quickly! Your father dearly loves you.’

“Although he coaxed them with gentle words, the children were absorbed in their play and would not listen. They were neither frightened nor willing to leave. They did not even know what fire was, what a house was, or what danger and loss meant. They merely ran about in every direction, playing, and only glanced at their father.

“The elder then thought: ‘This house is already being consumed by a great fire. If my children and I do not leave quickly, we shall certainly be burned. I shall now employ a skillful means to enable my children to escape this harm.’

“The father knew that his children had always delighted in rare and precious objects and would surely be pleased if they could have them. He therefore said to them:

“‘These rare and precious things shall be yours. If you do not take them now, you will regret it later. Goat carts, deer carts, and ox carts are waiting outside the door for you to ride and play in. Come quickly out of this burning house, and I shall give each of you whichever you desire.’

“When the children heard their father speak of precious playthings that pleased them, they all became eager. Pushing one another and vying together, they rushed out of the burning house.

“The elder then saw that all his children had safely escaped the burning house and were sitting in the open ground at the crossroads, free from fear. His mind was relieved, and he rejoiced exceedingly.

“The children then said to their father:

“‘Father, you just promised us beautiful and precious playthings, such as goat carts, deer carts, and ox carts. Please give them to us now!’

“Sariputra, the elder then gave each of his children a single great cart. These carts were lofty and spacious, adorned with various treasures, surrounded on all four sides by railings from which bells were suspended. Canopies were stretched above them, decorated with rare and exquisite treasures. Jeweled cords were interwoven, and garlands hung down. Many layers of soft cushions and mats were spread inside, with crimson pillows placed upon them. Each cart was drawn by a white ox, whose hide was lustrous, whose form was handsome, whose strength was immense, and whose steps were steady and swift as the wind. Many servants attended and guarded each cart.

“Why was this? Because the elder possessed boundless wealth, and all his storehouses were filled to overflowing. He thought: ‘My riches are beyond measure. I should not give my children small and inferior carts. These young children are all my own sons, and I love them impartially. Since I possess many such great carts made of the seven treasures, I should give them equally to all without distinction.’

“Why was this? Even if I were to give such carts to everyone in the entire kingdom, there would still be no shortage; how much less when giving them only to my children! At that time, each of the children received a great cart, gaining something unprecedented, far beyond what they had originally sought.

“Sariputra, what do you think? When that elder equally gave the great jeweled carts to his children, was he guilty of deception?”

Sariputra replied:

“No, World-Honored One! That elder merely wished his children to escape the peril of the fire and to preserve their lives; therefore, he was not guilty of deception. Why is this? Once their bodies were safe, they had already gained something precious and good, all the more so when skillful means were used to rescue them from the burning house.

“World-Honored One! Even if that elder had not given them so much as a single small cart, he still would not have deceived them. Why is this? The elder had thought: ‘I shall use skillful means to enable them to escape from the burning house.’ For this reason, there was no deception, all the more so since the elder knew that his wealth was abundant and, wishing to benefit his children, gave them all great carts equally.”

The Buddha said to Shariputra:

“Excellent, excellent! It is just as you have said. Shariputra!

The Tathagata is also like this. The Buddha is the father of all worlds. He has completely extinguished all fear, anxiety, sorrow, and the obscuring darkness of ignorance.

He has attained immeasurable knowledge and vision, powers of wisdom, and fearlessness. He possesses great spiritual powers and the power of wisdom, and is fully endowed with skillful means, the perfection of wisdom, and the powers of great loving-kindness and great compassion. Never weary, he constantly performs wholesome deeds for the benefit of all.

Yet he is born into this decaying and decrepit burning house of the three realms in order to rescue sentient beings from the burning house of the three poisons, birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, affliction, foolishness, and darkness, teaching and transforming them so that they may attain unsurpassed bodhi. He sees sentient beings scorched by birth, old age, sickness, death, grief, sorrow, suffering, and affliction, and also undergoing suffering because of the five desires, wealth, and gain.

Moreover, because of their craving and pursuit, they undergo many sufferings in the present and, in future lives, suffer in hell, as animals, or as hungry ghosts. Even if they are born among gods or humans, they suffer poverty and hardship, separation from those they love, and encounters with those they hate. Sentient beings delight in wandering and sporting amid such sufferings, submerged in them without awareness or understanding.

They are neither alarmed nor afraid, nor do they become weary and seek liberation. Within this burning house of the three realms, they run about everywhere; although beset by immense suffering, they feel not the slightest apprehension.

“Shariputra! Seeing this, the Buddha thinks: ‘I am the father of sentient beings, so I must rescue them from these painful calamities and bestow upon them the immeasurable and boundless bliss of the Buddha’s wisdom, in which they may freely delight.’

“Shariputra! The Tathagata further thinks: ‘If I were to rely solely upon the power of spiritual abilities and wisdom, dispensing with skillful means, and were to praise for sentient beings the Tathagata’s knowledge and vision, powers of wisdom, and fearlessness, then sentient beings certainly could not thereby attain liberation.’ Why is this? Because these sentient beings have not yet escaped birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and affliction, but are being scorched within the burning house of the three realms. How could they understand the Buddha’s wisdom?

“Shariputra! Although that elder possessed strength in his body and arms, he did not use it. He merely employed earnest skillful means to rescue his children from the peril of the burning house, and afterward gave them all precious great carts.

“The Tathagata is also like this. Although he possesses powers and fearlessness, he does not use them directly. He merely uses the skillful means of wisdom to rescue sentient beings from the burning house of the three realms.

For the sake of sentient beings, he teaches the three vehicles: the shravaka vehicle, the pratyekabuddha vehicle, and the Buddha vehicle. He then instructs them: ‘You should not delight in dwelling within the burning house of the three realms. Do not crave coarse and inferior forms, sounds, fragrances, tastes, and tangible objects.

If you become infatuated with and attached to them, craving and defilement will arise, and you will be burned. Quickly leave the three realms, and you shall attain the three vehicles: the shravaka vehicle, the pratyekabuddha vehicle, and the Buddha vehicle.’

“Now I guarantee this to you, and there is absolutely no deception. You need only diligently and vigorously cultivate. The Tathagata guides and entices sentient beings with skillful means, further telling them: ‘You should know that the Dharma of these three vehicles is praised by the noble ones. Through it, you shall be free and sovereign, neither bound nor dependent upon anything. Traveling by these three vehicles and employing the faculties, powers, factors of awakening, Noble Path, meditative concentrations, liberations, undefiled samadhis, and so forth, you shall delight yourselves and attain immeasurable peace and happiness.’

“Shariputra! Sentient beings who possess an inward disposition toward wisdom, who hear the Dharma of the Buddha, the World-Honored One, faithfully accept it, and earnestly and vigorously wish quickly to leave the three realms and seek to realize nirvana for themselves are said to follow the shravaka vehicle. They are like those children who left the burning house seeking the goat carts.

“Sentient beings who hear the Dharma of the Buddha, the World-Honored One, faithfully accept it, earnestly and vigorously seek self-arisen wisdom, delight in solitary tranquility, and fully comprehend the causes and conditions of all dharmas are said to follow the pratyekabuddha vehicle. They are like those children who left the burning house seeking the deer carts.

“Sentient beings who hear the Dharma of the Buddha, the World-Honored One, faithfully accept it, diligently and vigorously cultivate, and seek all-knowing wisdom, Buddha-wisdom, self-arisen wisdom, wisdom acquired without a teacher, and the Tathagata’s knowledge and vision, powers, and fearlessness—who, out of loving compassion, wish to bring peace and happiness to immeasurable sentient beings, benefit gods and humans, and liberate all—are said to follow the bodhisattva Great Vehicle. Because they seek this vehicle, they are called ‘great.’ They are like those children who left the burning house seeking the ox carts.

“Shariputra! That elder saw that his children had safely escaped the burning house and reached a place free from fear. The elder thought: ‘My wealth is abundant, so I should give my children great carts equally.’ The Tathagata is also like this. He is the father of all sentient beings. When he sees immeasurable thousands of millions of sentient beings pass through the gateway of the Buddha’s teaching, escape the sufferings and the perilous, fearful paths of the three realms, and attain the bliss of nirvana,

“the Tathagata then thinks: ‘I possess the immeasurable and boundless wisdom, powers, fearlessness, and other Dharma treasures of all Buddhas. These sentient beings are all my children, so I should bestow the Dharma of the Great Vehicle upon them equally. I shall not allow anyone to attain an individual extinction; instead, I shall enable them all to attain extinction through the Tathagata’s Dharma of extinction.’

“To all sentient beings who have escaped the three realms, the Buddha gives the delights of the Buddhas’ meditative concentrations, liberations, and so forth. All these are of one characteristic and one kind, praised by the noble ones, and give rise to pure, subtle, and supreme peace and happiness.

“Shariputra! That elder first used three kinds of carts to entice his children, but afterward gave them only great carts, adorned with precious objects, secure and foremost. Yet that elder was not guilty of deception. The Tathagata is also like this, without deception. At first, he teaches the three vehicles to guide sentient beings, but afterward uses only the Great Vehicle to liberate them.

“Why is this? The Tathagata possesses immeasurable treasuries of Dharma, wisdom, powers, and fearlessness, and is able to bestow the Dharma of the Great Vehicle upon all sentient beings, but they are incapable of receiving it in full.

“Shariputra! For this reason, you should know that, through the power of skillful means, the Tathagata distinguishes the one Buddha vehicle and teaches it as three.” Wishing to restate this meaning, the Buddha spoke in verse:

Suppose there were an elder

Who had a great house.

The house was very old

And also dilapidated.

Its halls were lofty and dangerous;

The bases of its pillars were broken and rotten.

Its beams and ridgepoles were leaning and askew;

Its foundations were crumbling and decayed.

Its walls had collapsed,

And the plaster was falling away.

Its roof thatch was torn and ruined;

Its rafters and eaves were leaning awry.

It was bent and crooked on every side,

And filthy throughout.

Five hundred people

Dwelt within it.

Owls, hawks, vultures,

Crows, magpies, doves, and pigeons;

Poisonous snakes, vipers, and scorpions;

Centipedes and millipedes;

Geckos and creatures with a hundred legs;

Weasels, badgers, and rats—

All manner of venomous and vicious creatures

Scurried about in confusion.

Foul-smelling excrement

And filthy water overflowed;

Dung beetles and other vermin

Swarmed all over it.

Foxes, wolves, and jackals

Licked, chewed, and trampled,

Tearing and devouring carcasses,

While bones and flesh lay scattered everywhere.

Because of this, packs of dogs

Rushed in to seize them.

Gaunt, hungry, and frightened,

They searched everywhere for food,

Struggling, fighting, and tearing at one another,

Snarling, howling, and barking.

That house was terrifying;

Such was its condition.

Everywhere there were

Li, mei, and wangliang spirits,

Yakshas and evil ghosts

Devouring human flesh,

Venomous creatures,

And savage birds and beasts;

Hatching, nursing, and breeding,

Each guarded its own offspring.

The yakshas rushed in,

Struggling to seize and eat them;

Having eaten their fill,

Their evil hearts grew fiercer.

The sounds of their fighting

Were truly terrifying.

Kumbhanda ghosts

Squatted upon the ground;

At times they leaped

One or two feet above it,

Roaming back and forth,

Playing among themselves.

They seized dogs by both legs

And beat them until they shrieked,

Then pressed their feet upon their necks,

Tormenting the dogs for sport.

There were also ghosts

Whose bodies were tall and huge,

Naked, black, and hideous,

Always dwelling therein.

They uttered savage cries,

Calling out in search of food.

There were also ghosts

Whose throats were slender as needles;

And there were kinds of ghosts

With heads like the heads of oxen.

Some ate human flesh,

Others ate the flesh of dogs.

Their hair was disheveled,

And they were vicious, fierce, and dangerous.

Tormented by hunger and thirst,

They howled and ran about.

Yakshas and hungry ghosts,

And all the savage birds and beasts,

Driven by hunger, roamed in every direction,

Peering through the windows.

Such were the perils there,

Immeasurably dreadful!

That old, decaying house

Belonged to a certain man.

The man had gone outside

Only a short while before,

When afterward the house

Suddenly caught fire.

All at once, on every side,

The flames blazed fiercely.

Beams, pillars, rafters, and crosspieces

Crackled and burst with a thunderous sound,

Splintering and falling,

While the walls collapsed.

All the ghosts and spirits

Raised loud cries.

The eagles and vultures,

And the kumbhanda ghosts,

Terrified and panic-stricken,

Were unable to escape by themselves.

Savage beasts and venomous creatures

Crawled into holes and caves to hide;

The pishacha ghosts

Also dwelt therein.

Because their merit and virtue were scant,

They were scorched by the fire,

Maiming and harming one another,

Drinking blood and eating flesh.

The jackals and foxes

Had already died first,

And the larger savage beasts

Struggled to seize and devour them.

Foul smoke billowed upward,

Filling all four sides.

Centipedes, youyan creatures,

And every kind of venomous snake,

Scorched by the fire,

Struggled to flee their holes;

The kumbhanda ghosts

At once seized and ate them.

There were also hungry ghosts

With flames burning upon their heads;

Oppressed by hunger, thirst, and heat,

They ran about in panic.

Such was that burning house,

Truly dreadful!

Its fire was fierce and deadly,

And its calamities were many.

At that time, the master of the house

Stood outside the door

And heard someone say,

“Your children,

Because they wished to play,

Entered this house.

Young and ignorant,

They care only for their games.”

Having heard this, the elder

Fearfully entered the house,

Seeking a way to rescue his children

From being burned by the fire.

He admonished his children,

Telling them of the perils:

The evil ghosts and venomous creatures,

The fire spreading everywhere,

And sufferings arising one after another,

Continuously without end;

Venomous snakes and vipers,

The yaksha ghosts,

The kumbhanda ghosts,

Jackals, foxes, and dogs,

Eagles, vultures, owls, and hawks,

And all the many-legged creatures,

Tormented by hunger and thirst—

All were truly dreadful!

In this place of suffering and peril,

There was also the great fire.

The children did not understand;

Although they heard their father’s warning,

They still delighted in their games

And played on without cease.

The elder then

Thought to himself:

“My children are like this,

Increasing my grief and distress.

What delight can there be

Within this burning house?

Yet why are my children

So engrossed in their games,

Refusing to heed my words?

They will be burned by the fire.”

He then reflected again

And devised another means.

He told his children:

“Your father has many

Precious playthings—

Fine and splendid jeweled carts:

Goat carts, deer carts,

And great ox carts—

Waiting outside the gate.

Come out quickly, my children!

I have prepared these carts

For you,

So that each may choose as desired

And use them for excursions and play.”

When the children heard

Of carts such as these,

They immediately vied with one another,

Racing together to get outside,

And escaped that painful peril.

Seeing that his children

Had left the burning house

And were at the crossroads,

The elder sat upon the lion throne.

Rejoicing, he said:

“I am exceedingly happy!

My children were born and raised

Only with great difficulty.

Young and ignorant,

They entered that dangerous house,

Filled with many venomous creatures

And terrifying li and mei spirits.

The fire blazed fiercely,

Flaming up on every side,

Yet my children

Were absorbed in their games.

I have rescued them

And enabled them to escape this peril.

Therefore, my children,

I am filled with joy!”

At that time, the children,

Knowing that their father’s mind was at ease,

All approached him

And said together:

“Please give us

The three kinds of jeweled carts,

Just as you promised:

‘Come out quickly, my children,

And I shall give you three carts,

Whichever you desire.’

Now is the time;

Please give them to us!”

The wealthy elder

Had many treasure stores

Filled with gold, silver, lapis lazuli,

Mother-of-pearl, and agate.

Using these precious things,

He fashioned great carts

And adorned them beautifully.

Railings surrounded them;

Bells hung on all four sides;

Golden cords intertwined,

And nets of jewels

Were spread across their tops.

Golden flowers and jeweled garlands

Hung down everywhere;

Brilliant colors

Encircled the carts.

Soft silks

Were used for cushions and mats;

The finest precious cloth,

Worth a thousand kotis,

Glossy, pure, and white,

Was spread upon the cushions.

There were great white oxen,

Plump, strong, and powerful,

Handsome in form,

To draw those jeweled carts.

A great multitude of servants

Followed and attended them.

He gave such splendid carts

Equally to all his children.

At that time, the children

Were overjoyed and delighted.

Riding upon the jeweled carts,

They roamed in every direction,

Sporting and playing joyfully,

Free and completely at ease.

O Shariputra!

I am also like this:

The noble and honored Sage,

The compassionate father of the world.

All sentient beings

Are my children.

Infatuated with worldly pleasures,

They possess no wisdom.

The three realms are without peace,

Just like the burning house,

Filled with suffering and calamity,

Truly dreadful.

There are always birth and aging,

Illness, death, grief, and distress;

Such fires

Burn ceaselessly without extinction.

The Tathagata has departed

From the burning house of the three realms

And dwells at ease in tranquil stillness,

Peacefully abiding in the forest.

These three realms

Are all my domain,

And the sentient beings within them

Are also my children.

Within these realms

There are many calamities;

I alone

Can rescue them.

Although I instruct them,

They still do not believe or accept,

For they are deeply attached

To defiled desires.

Through this skillful means,

I teach the Three Vehicles,

Causing sentient beings

To understand the suffering of the three realms,

Teaching and revealing to them

The path that transcends the world.

If those children

Make their resolve firm,

They attain the Three Knowledges

And the Six Supernatural Powers,

Realize the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood,

Or become non-retrogressing bodhisattvas.

O Shariputra!

For the sake of sentient beings,

I use this parable

To teach the single Buddha Vehicle.

If you are able

To believe and accept these words,

All of you shall

Accomplish the Buddha path.

The Buddha Vehicle is subtle and wondrous,

Pure and supreme.

In all the worlds,

No Dharma surpasses it.

It is cherished by all Buddhas;

All sentient beings

Should praise it,

Make offerings, and bow in reverence.

Immeasurable thousands of kotis

Of powers and liberations,

Samadhis, wisdom,

And other qualities

Are found within this Vehicle.

Having attained such a Vehicle,

You shall be enabled,

Throughout days, nights, and countless kalpas,

Always to journey and play,

Together with the bodhisattvas

And the assembly of shravakas.

Riding this jeweled Vehicle,

You shall proceed directly to the place of enlightenment.

For this reason,

Though one search throughout the ten directions,

There is no other vehicle

Apart from the Buddha’s skillful means.

O Shariputra!

All of you

Are my children,

And I am indeed your father.

For many kalpas,

You have been scorched by suffering;

I have rescued you all

And led you out of the three realms.

Although I formerly said

That you had attained extinction,

You had merely ended birth and death

And had not truly attained extinction.

What you should accomplish today

Is nothing other than the Buddha’s wisdom.

If there are bodhisattvas

Within this assembly,

Let them listen attentively

To the Buddha’s true Dharma.

Although the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones,

Employ skillful means

To transform and liberate sentient beings,

All are bodhisattvas.

If people of little wisdom

Are attached to craving and desire,

For the sake of such people

The Buddha teaches the Truth of Suffering.

Sentient beings rejoice,

Attaining what they have never attained before.

The Truth of Suffering taught by the Buddha

Is genuine and without discrepancy.

If there are sentient beings

Who do not know the root of suffering,

Who are immersed in the causes of suffering

And cannot abandon them,

For the sake of such people

He skillfully teaches the path.

Of all the causes of suffering,

Craving is the root.

If craving is eliminated,

Suffering has nowhere to depend.

The complete cessation of all suffering

Is the Third Truth.

To realize the Truth of Cessation,

One must cultivate the Truth of the Path.

Freedom from the bonds of suffering

Is called liberation.

How, then,

Is liberation attained?

Merely becoming free from delusion

Is called liberation,

Yet one has not truly attained

Complete liberation from all things.

The Buddha says that such a person

Has not truly attained nirvana,

For this person has not yet attained

Unsurpassed bodhi.

It is not my intent

To lead them to extinction.

I am the Dharma King,

Sovereign over the Dharma.

To bring peace and security to sentient beings,

I manifest in the world.

O Sariputra!

This Dharma seal of mine

I expound

For the benefit of the world.

Wherever you may go,

Do not propagate it wrongly.

If there are those who hear it,

Rejoice in it, and reverently accept it,

You should know that such persons

Are non-retrogressing.

Those who believe in

And accept this Dharma scripture

Have in the past

Encountered former Buddhas,

Reverently made offerings to them,

And heard this Dharma before.

Those who are able

To believe what you say

Thereby see me,

And also see you,

The assembly of bhiksus,

And all the bodhisattvas.

The Lotus Sutra is taught

For those of profound wisdom;

Those of shallow wisdom who hear it

Will be confused and fail to understand.

All sravakas

And pratyekabuddhas

Lack the power

To comprehend this sutra.

O Sariputra!

Even those with faith

Can understand this sutra;

How much more so the sravakas!

These sravakas,

Because they believe the Buddha's word,

Accept and follow this sutra,

Though it surpasses their own wisdom.

Furthermore, Sariputra!

To those who are arrogant,

Indolent, and attached to self,

Do not teach this sutra.

To ordinary beings of shallow understanding,

Immersed in the five desires,

Who, upon hearing the Dharma, cannot understand,

It likewise should not be taught.

Those who do not believe

And slander this sutra

Thereby sever all

Seeds of Buddhahood in the world.

Those who scowl

And harbor doubt—

Listen as I describe

The retribution for their offenses.

Whether while a Buddha is in the world

Or after his nirvana,

Those who disparage

This scripture,

And, upon seeing those who read, recite,

Copy, accept, and uphold it,

Despise, malign, envy,

Resent, and hate them—

As for the retribution of such persons,

You should listen well.

After such persons die,

They will fall into the Avici hell.

Having passed an entire kalpa there,

They will be reborn there again,

Continuing thus

For countless kalpas.

When they escape from hell,

They will fall again into the animal realm,

Becoming dogs, jackals, or foxes,

With bodies emaciated,

Dark, mangy, and covered with sores,

Driven away by people.

Moreover, they will be

Loathed and despised by others,

Forever afflicted by hunger and thirst,

Their flesh and bones withered and gaunt.

In life they will endure suffering;

In death they will be pelted with stones.

Because they have utterly destroyed the seeds of Buddhahood,

They will undergo such retribution.

Or they will become camels,

Or they will become donkeys,

Forever bearing heavy loads

And being beaten.

They will think only of water and grass

And know nothing else.

For slandering this sutra,

They will undergo such retribution.

If they become jackals or foxes

And enter villages,

Their bodies will be mangy and covered with sores,

And they will be blind in one eye.

They will be beaten

And pelted by children,

Enduring many sufferings,

Sometimes nearly dying.

When at last they die,

They will be reborn as serpents,

Their bodies long and enormous,

Five hundred yojanas in length,

Deaf, mangy, and without feet,

Crawling upon their bellies.

Tiny creatures

Will burrow into them and devour their flesh.

Day and night they will suffer,

Without the slightest respite.

For slandering this sutra,

They will undergo such retribution.

If they are born as humans,

Their faculties will be dull and obscured.

They will be short, ugly, and crippled,

Blind, deaf, and hunchbacked.

Whatever they may say,

No one will believe them.

Their breath will be foul,

And spirits will possess them.

Poor, destitute, and lowly,

They will be ordered about by others.

Afflicted by many illnesses and emaciated,

They will have nowhere to turn for refuge.

Though they draw near to others,

No one will pay them any heed.

Whatever they may learn,

They will immediately forget.

If they practice medicine

And treat illnesses according to proper methods,

Their patients' illnesses will only worsen,

Sometimes even resulting in death.

If they themselves become ill,

No one will be able to cure them;

Even if they take good medicine,

Their illness will only grow more severe.

Others will deceive them,

Plunder them, and rob them.

Offenses such as these

Will bring calamity upon them.

Persons burdened with such offenses

Will never encounter the Buddha,

The King among the Noble Ones,

Who teaches the Dharma and transforms beings.

Persons burdened with such offenses

Will always be born in places of adversity,

Deaf and mentally confused,

And will never hear the Dharma.

Throughout countless kalpas,

Numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

They will be mute and deaf from birth,

With their faculties incomplete.

They will constantly fall into hell,

Regarding it as though it were a garden;

The other evil destinies

Will seem like their own homes.

Camels, pigs, and dogs

Will be the forms they continually assume.

For disparaging this sutra,

They incur offenses such as these!

If they are born as humans,

They will be blind, deaf, mute, and stammering.

Poverty, destitution, and frailty

Will be their adornments.

Dropsy and emaciation,

Mange, sores, and tumors—

Illnesses such as these

Will serve as their garments.

Their bodies will always stink,

Filthy and unclean.

Deeply attached to the view of self,

Their anger will continually increase.

Their lust will be fierce,

Sparing not even birds or beasts.

For slandering this sutra,

They will undergo such retribution!

O Sariputra!

If I were to recount the offenses

Of those who disparage this sutra,

I could not finish even in an entire kalpa.

For this reason,

I tell all of you:

Do not teach this sutra

To those without wisdom.

To those of keen faculties,

Whose wisdom is lucid,

Who are widely learned and have retentive memories,

And who seek the Buddha path—

Only to persons such as these

Should it be taught.

Those who in the past have encountered

Hundreds of thousands of kotis of Buddhas,

Planted various roots of goodness,

And whose minds are exceedingly steadfast—

Only to persons such as these

Should it be taught.

Those who are diligent,

Constantly cultivate loving-kindness,

And do not begrudge their bodies or lives—

Only to them should it be taught.

Those who are reverent,

Hold no wrong views,

Abandon foolish ordinary people,

And dwell alone in forests—

Only to persons such as these

Should it be taught.

Furthermore, Sariputra!

If you see persons

Who have abandoned unwholesome companions

And drawn near to good friends—

Only to persons such as these

Should it be taught.

If you see children of the Buddha

Who maintain the precepts purely,

Like a bright jewel,

And seek the Mahayana sutras—

Only to persons such as these

Should it be taught.

Those who are free from anger,

Upright, gentle, and harmonious,

Who cherish all beings

And revere all Buddhas—

Only to persons such as these

Should it be taught.

There are also children of the Buddha

Who, amid the great assembly,

With purified minds,

Employ various causes and conditions,

Expressions, and parables

To expound the Dharma without obstruction—

Only to persons such as these

Should it be taught.

If there are bhiksus

Who, for the sake of all-knowledge,

Seek the Dharma everywhere,

Join their palms and reverently accept it,

And joyfully preserve

The Mahayana scriptures,

Even refusing to accept

A single verse from another scripture—

Only to persons such as these

Should it be taught.

Those who sincerely

Seek the Buddha's relics

Just as they seek this sutra,

And, having obtained it, reverently accept it;

Who seek

No other scripture

And have never even thought of

The writings of non-Buddhist teachings—

Only to persons such as these

Should it be taught.

O Sariputra!

Were I to describe

Those who seek the Buddha path,

I could not finish even in an entire kalpa.

Persons such as these

Are able to believe and understand.

For their sake,

You should teach the Lotus Sutra.

Chapter 4: FAITH AND UNDERSTANDING

At that time, the venerable Subhuti, Mahakatyayana, Mahakasyapa, and Mahamaudgalyayana heard from the Buddha a Dharma they had never heard before. When the Blessed One bestowed upon Sariputra the prediction that he would attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment, they gave rise to a rare and extraordinary aspiration and rejoiced greatly. Rising from their seats, they adjusted their robes, bared their right shoulders, knelt upon their right knees, joined their palms, bowed respectfully, and, with single-minded reverence, gazed upon the Buddha's honored countenance and addressed him:

“We stand foremost within the Sangha, yet we are all advanced in age. Believing that we had already realized nirvana and that there was nothing more for us to accomplish, we did not consider it necessary to seek unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

“Blessed One! For a long time the Blessed One has expounded the Dharma. While sitting upon our seats, our bodies grew weary, and we thought only of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. As for the bodhisattvas' mastery of the Dharma, their spiritual powers, their purification of Buddha lands, and their liberation of sentient beings, we took no delight in these things.

“Why was this? The Blessed One enabled us to escape the three realms and realize nirvana. Moreover, because we are now advanced in age, we felt no delight whatsoever in the unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment concerning which the Buddha teaches and transforms the bodhisattvas.

“Today, hearing the Buddha bestow upon the sravakas predictions that they will attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment, we rejoice beyond measure at gaining what we have never had before. We never imagined that we would suddenly hear this rare Dharma. We feel profoundly blessed to have gained this great and perfect benefit: countless precious treasures have come to us spontaneously, though we never sought them.”

World-Honored One! We wish to relate a parable to clarify this meaning. Suppose there were a man who, while still a young child, abandoned his father and ran away. He dwelt for a long time in another country—ten, twenty, or even fifty years. As he grew older, he became increasingly poor and destitute, wandering everywhere in search of food and clothing, until little by little, by chance, he returned to his native land.

All this time, the father had searched for his son but had not found him, and eventually settled in a certain city. His household was exceedingly wealthy, possessing immeasurable riches. His treasuries were filled with gold, silver, lapis lazuli, coral, amber, crystal, precious gems, and other treasures. He had multitudes of servants, attendants, and retainers, as well as countless elephant carriages, horse carriages, ox carts, and goat carts. His commercial profits extended throughout many countries, and his merchants and trading guests were very numerous.

At that time, the poor son traveled through villages and towns, gradually arriving at the city where his father lived. The father had always remembered his son. Though they had been separated for more than fifty years, he had never spoken of the matter to anyone, but constantly cherished the memory of his son and worried deeply. He thought, “I am now old and decrepit. I possess abundant wealth, and my treasuries are filled with gold, silver, and precious jewels, yet I have no heir. When I die, my riches will be scattered and lost, with no one to whom I can entrust them.” Therefore, he constantly thought anxiously of his son. Again he thought, “If only I could find my son and entrust my wealth to him, I would be peaceful and joyful, free from all anxiety.”

World-Honored One! At that time, the poor son, seeking hired work, gradually and by chance arrived at his father’s house. Standing beside the gate, he saw his father seated upon a lion throne, with a jeweled footstool beneath his feet.

Brahmins and kshatriyas respectfully surrounded him. He was adorned with necklaces of pearls worth thousands upon tens of thousands. Servants and attendants stood on either side holding white fly-whisks.

Above him hung a jeweled canopy with garlands of flowers suspended from it. Fragrant water was sprinkled upon the ground, beautiful flowers were strewn about, and precious objects were displayed. There was the issuing and receiving, taking and giving of goods, together with all such adornments, majesty, and honor.

Seeing that his father possessed such great power and influence, the poor son became frightened and regretted having come there. He secretly thought, “This man must be a king, or someone equal to a king. This is no place for me to hire out my labor and earn wages.

I would do better to go to a poor village, where I can find a place to work for food and clothing. If I remain here too long and am seen, I may be seized and forced to work.” Having thought this, he fled as quickly as he could.

At that moment, seated upon the lion throne, the elder saw him and immediately recognized his son. He was overjoyed and thought, “At last there is someone to whom I can entrust my stores and wealth. I have always remembered and longed for my son, wondering how I might meet him. Now he has suddenly come of his own accord, perfectly fulfilling my wish. Though I am old and decrepit, I still cherish and yearn for him.” He immediately ordered a servant to pursue and bring him back.

The servant quickly ran after him and seized him. Terrified, the poor son cried out loudly in protest:

– I have offended no one! Why am I being arrested?

The servant gripped him even more tightly and dragged him swiftly back.

The poor son thought, “I have committed no crime, yet I have been seized. This time I shall surely die.” Growing even more terrified, he fainted and fell to the ground.

Seeing this, the father told the servant:

– I have no need of this man. Do not bring him back. Sprinkle cold water upon him so that he may regain consciousness, and say nothing more to him.

Why was this? The father knew that his son’s aspirations were lowly and that awareness of his father’s own nobility had filled him with fear. Although he knew with certainty that this was his son, he skillfully refrained from telling others. He then ordered the servant to say, “You are released. Go wherever you please.” The poor son rejoiced at this unprecedented deliverance. He rose and went to a poor village in search of food and clothing.

At that time, wishing to entice his son back, the elder devised an expedient. He secretly sent two men who were haggard in appearance and lacked any imposing dignity, saying:

– Go to that man and gradually tell the poor son, “There is work available here, and the wages are very high.” If he agrees, bring him here to work. If he asks what the work is, tell him, “You are being hired to clear away dung, and the two of us will work alongside you.”

The two men immediately went in search of the poor son. When they found him, they explained the matter as instructed. After asking about the wages, the poor son went with them to clear away dung.

When the father saw his son, he felt great compassion for him, yet the son remained suspicious.

One day, looking through a window, the father saw that his son’s body was thin and haggard, filthy with dung, dirt, and dust. He immediately removed his jeweled necklaces, fine soft garments, and other ornaments. Putting on coarse, torn, and soiled clothing covered with dust, he took a dung shovel in his hand and assumed a fearsome appearance. He said to the workers, “Work diligently and do not be lazy.” Seeking a way to draw near his son, he said to him:

– Good man! Remain here and work; do not go elsewhere. I shall increase your wages. Whatever you need—bowls, rice, flour, salt, vinegar, and other things—do not hesitate to ask. There is an old servant who will provide everything you need, so set your mind at ease. I shall be like a father to you; do not worry. Why is this? I am already advanced in years, while you are young and strong. While working, you have never been deceitful, lazy, angry, resentful, or complaining. I see that you possess none of the faults found in the other workers. You are like my own son.

The elder then gave the poor son the name “Son.” Although the poor son was pleased by this, he still regarded himself as a lowly hired laborer. Therefore, for twenty years the elder continually had him clear away dung. Afterward, the poor son gradually developed trust and could enter and leave without apprehension, yet he still continued to live in his former place.

World-Honored One! At that time, the elder fell ill and knew that he would soon die. He said to the poor son:

– My treasuries are filled with gold and silver. You must know completely how much they contain and how everything is received and disbursed. Such is my intention, and you should act in accordance with it. Why is this? You and I are now no different from one another. You must pay careful attention and allow nothing to be lost.

The poor son obeyed these instructions and took charge of learning about all the gold, silver, precious jewels, and treasuries, yet he had no thought of taking anything worth even a single meal. He still lived in his former place, for he had not yet relinquished his lowly aspirations.

After some time, the elder knew that his son’s understanding had gradually become clear, that he had developed great aspirations, and that he despised his former state of mind. As death approached, the elder summoned his son and also invited all his relatives, the king, the great ministers, the kshatriyas, and the householders. He declared:

– Let all of you know that this is my son, born of me. In a certain city he abandoned me and ran away, wandering and suffering for more than fifty years. His name is such-and-such, and my name is such-and-such. Long ago, while living in that city, I anxiously searched for him. Then, unexpectedly, I encountered him here. He is truly my son, and I am truly his father. All my wealth now belongs to my son, and he already knows completely all that has been received and disbursed.

World-Honored One! When the poor son heard his father say this, he rejoiced greatly at this unprecedented event and thought, “I never sought or expected any of this, yet the treasure has come to me of itself.”

World-Honored One! That wealthy elder is the Tathagata, and all of us are like the Buddha’s sons. The Tathagata has always said that we are his children.

World-Honored One! Because of the three kinds of suffering, we have been scorched by afflictions amid birth and death. Deluded and ignorant, we delighted in lesser teachings.

Today, the World-Honored One has caused us to clear away the filth of sophistical speculation concerning the Dharma. Within these teachings, we strove diligently and attained nirvana. Having thereby earned the wages of a single day, we rejoiced greatly and considered this sufficient.

We then said, “Through diligent effort in the Buddha’s Dharma, we have attained a great deal.” Yet the World-Honored One, knowing from the beginning that we delighted in what was inferior and were attached to lesser teachings, let us follow our inclinations and did not distinguish matters for us by saying, “You shall have a share in the treasury of the Tathagata’s knowledge and vision.”

The World-Honored One, through the power of skillful means, expounded the wisdom of the Tathagata. Following the Buddha, we attained the nirvana valued as a single day's wage and considered it complete. We had no aspiration to seek the Great Vehicle Dharma.

Moreover, relying upon the wisdom of the Tathagata, we expounded to the bodhisattvas the Dharma that the Buddha had revealed, yet we ourselves had no aspiration to seek it. Why was this? Knowing that we delighted in lesser teachings, the Buddha employed the wondrous power of skillful means and taught the Dharma in accordance with our capacities; yet we did not know that we were truly children of the Buddha.

Only today do we understand that the World-Honored One is never grudging with the Buddha's wisdom. Why is this? Although we have always truly been children of the Buddha, we delighted only in lesser teachings.

Had we delighted in the great Dharma, the Buddha would have taught us the Great Vehicle Dharma.

In this sutra, only the Dharma of the One Vehicle is taught. Formerly, in the presence of the bodhisattvas, the Buddha reproached the shravakas for delighting in lesser teachings; yet in truth, the Buddha was instructing and transforming them through the Great Vehicle Dharma. Therefore, we say: “Though we never sought it, the great and precious Dharma treasure of the Dharma King has come to us of itself. We have now attained all that the children of the Buddha should attain.”

At that time, to restate this meaning, Venerable Mahakashyapa spoke in verse:

Today, all of us,

Hearing the Buddha's teaching,

Rejoice beyond measure,

Having gained what we never had before.

The Buddha says that shravakas

Shall attain Buddhahood;

The unsurpassed treasury of jewels

Has come unsought of itself.

It is like a young child,

Innocent and ignorant,

Who abandoned his father and fled,

Going to a distant land,

Wandering from place to place

For more than fifty years.

His father sorrowfully remembered him

And searched everywhere.

After searching long and growing weary,

He stopped in a certain city,

Built himself a residence,

And delighted in the five desires.

His household was wealthy,

With abundant gold and silver,

Mother-of-pearl and agate,

Pearls and lapis lazuli,

Elephants, horses, cattle, and sheep,

Palanquins and carriages,

Fields, lands, and servants,

And a multitude of people.

His business dealings and profits

Extended throughout other lands;

Merchants and traders

Were found everywhere.

Hundreds of thousands of millions

Surrounded and revered him.

He was always cherished

And favored by kings;

All the ministers and officials

Held him in great esteem.

Because of these various affairs,

Great numbers came and went.

Thus was his wealth,

And great was his power.

But as he grew old and frail,

He grieved still more for his son.

Morning and evening he worried:

“I shall soon die.

My foolish son abandoned me

More than fifty years ago.

What shall become

Of my treasuries and wealth?”

At that time, the poor son,

Seeking food and clothing,

Went from village to village

And from country to country.

Sometimes he found what he sought;

Sometimes he found nothing.

Hungry, thirsty, and emaciated,

His body was covered with sores.

Passing gradually onward,

He reached the city where his father lived

And, wandering here and there, happened

To arrive before his father's house.

At that time, the elder

Was within his residence,

Beneath a great jeweled canopy,

Seated upon a lion throne.

His retinue surrounded him,

And many attendants served him.

Some were calculating

His gold, silver, and precious objects;

Others recorded in account books

The receipt and disbursement of his wealth.

The poor son saw his father,

Wealthy, majestic, and dignified,

And thought him to be a king

Or someone equal to a king.

Alarmed and filled with wonder, he thought,

“Why have I come here?”

He further reflected:

“If I remain here long,

I shall be seized

And forced to labor.”

Having thought this,

He immediately fled as fast as he could,

Inquiring after a poor village

Where he might find hired work.

At that time, the elder,

Seated upon the lion throne,

Saw his own son

And silently recognized him.

He immediately ordered an attendant

To pursue and bring him back.

The poor son was terrified

And fell unconscious to the ground.

“This man has seized me;

Surely I shall be killed.

Why did my search for food and clothing

Cause me to come here?”

The elder knew that his son

Was foolish and lowly,

And would not believe his words

That he was truly the young man's father.

He therefore devised a means

And sent other men,

One-eyed, short, and ugly,

Without imposing dignity.

He told them to say to him:

“Come here and work for hire,

Removing filthy excrement,

And you will be paid well.”

Hearing this, the poor son

Joyfully followed them

To remove the filthy excrement

And clean the residence.

From within his house, the elder

Often watched his son,

Thinking how foolish he was

And how he delighted in menial work.

Then the elder

Put on coarse, tattered clothing,

Took up implements for clearing excrement,

And went to where his son was working.

Skillfully drawing near him,

He told his son to work diligently:

“I shall pay you more,

Give you oil with which to rub your feet,

Plentiful food,

And thick, warm bedding and mats.”

He earnestly exhorted him,

“You must work hard,”

And then gently said,

“I regard you as my own son.”

The wise elder

Gradually allowed him to come and go.

Over the course of twenty years,

He had him manage household affairs

And taught him about the gold and silver,

Pearls and crystal.

He made known to him all matters

Of receiving and disbursing wealth.

Yet the son still stayed outside the gate,

Sleeping in a thatched hut,

Content with his impoverished station,

Thinking, “These things are not mine.”

The father knew that his son's mind

Was gradually improving.

Wishing to bestow his wealth upon him,

He invited his relatives,

The king, great ministers,

Kshatriyas, and householders.

In their midst,

He declared: “This is my son.

He left me and went far away

More than fifty years ago,

And then returned unexpectedly.

He has been here now

For twenty years.

Long ago, in a certain city,

I lost this son.

I searched for him everywhere

And eventually came here.

Everything I possess—

My houses and servants—

I now entrust entirely to him,

To use as he wishes.”

The son knew his former poverty

And his lowly aspirations.

Now, in his father's house,

He received abundant treasures,

Together with the residence

And all its wealth.

He rejoiced beyond measure,

Having gained what he never had before.

The Buddha likewise knew that we

Delighted in lesser teachings.

He never said to us,

“You shall become Buddhas,”

But said that we

Had attained the untainted Dharma

And accomplished the lesser teaching.

The Buddha instructed us,

His shravaka disciples,

To proclaim the unsurpassed path:

“Those who cultivate this Dharma

Shall attain Buddhahood.”

Obeying the Buddha's instruction,

For the sake of the bodhisattvas,

We used causes and conditions,

Various kinds of analogies,

And many expressions

To proclaim the unsurpassed path.

The children of the Buddha,

Hearing us teach the Dharma,

Contemplated it day and night

And diligently cultivated it.

Thereupon, the Buddhas

Immediately bestowed predictions upon them:

“In future lives,

You shall attain Buddhahood.”

The secret treasury of Dharma

Of all the Buddhas

Is truly taught only

To the bodhisattvas;

This Dharma is not taught

To the shravakas.

Like that poor son

Who was allowed near his father,

Although he knew of the wealth,

He had no wish to receive it.

Although we proclaimed

The treasury of the Buddha's Dharma,

We had no aspiration for it;

We were just like him.

We extinguished our inner bonds

And considered this sufficient.

Having attained only this,

We knew nothing further.

Although we heard of

Purifying Buddha lands

And teaching and transforming sentient beings,

We took no delight in these things.

Why was this so?

All dharmas

Are empty and quiescent,

Neither arising nor ceasing,

Neither great nor small,

Untainted and unconditioned.

Having contemplated in this way,

We took no delight in them.

For a long time, we

Had no aspiration for,

Neither coveted nor delighted in,

The wisdom of the Buddha,

And considered our own attainment

To be complete.

For a long time, we

Cultivated the Dharma of emptiness,

Escaping the calamities

And suffering of the three realms.

In our final bodies, we abided

In nirvana with remainder.

Through the Buddha's instruction,

We had assuredly attained the path

And believed that thereby

We could repay the Buddha's kindness.

Although we proclaimed the Dharma

To the children of the Buddha

So that they might seek the Buddha path,

We ourselves had no desire

Whatsoever for this Dharma.

The Guiding Teacher left us as we were,

Clearly knowing our minds.

At first, he did not exhort us onward,

But spoke only of lesser benefits.

Like the wealthy elder,

Who knew that his son was lowly

And skillfully devised a means

To entice and guide him,

And afterward entrusted him

With all his wealth,

The Buddha did likewise,

Performing a rare and difficult deed.

Knowing that we delighted in lesser teachings,

He used the power of skillful means

To tame and discipline our minds,

And then taught us the great wisdom.

Today, we have gained

What we never had before.

What we did not seek in the past

Has now come to us of itself,

Like that poor son

Who obtained abundant treasures.

World-Honored One,

We have attained the fruit of the path

Within the untainted Dharma

And gained the pure eye.

For a long time, we

Have upheld the precepts established by the Buddha;

Only today

Have we received their blessed reward.

Within the Buddha's Dharma,

We cultivated the pure conduct,

And attained the untainted fruit,

The great, unsurpassed fruit.

Today, we

Are truly shravakas,

For, bearing the Buddha's teaching,

We teach and transform sentient beings.

Today, we

Are truly arhats.

Before all the world—

Devas, humans, Maras, and Brahmas

Throughout all therein,

Worthy of receiving offerings.

The World-Honored One, of great kindness,

Employs a rare and wondrous means,

Compassionately teaching and transforming,

Bringing benefit to us.

Through immeasurable millions of kalpas,

Who could ever repay Him?

Though we serve with all our strength,

Bow our heads in reverent homage,

And make every kind of offering,

Still we could not repay Him.

Though we bear the Buddha upon our heads

And carry Him upon both shoulders

For kalpas numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

With utmost sincerity and reverence;

Though we offer delectable food,

Countless precious robes,

And every kind of bedding,

All manner of medicines,

Ox-head sandalwood,

And various precious gems;

Though we use them to build stupas and shrines,

And spread precious robes upon the ground…

Though we perform all such deeds

As offerings to the Buddha

For kalpas numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

Still we could not repay Him.

The Buddhas are rare indeed,

Immeasurable and boundless,

Their inconceivable

Powers of spiritual penetration,

Uncontaminated and unconditioned,

Kings among all dharmas.

For the sake of those of lowly capacity,

They patiently endure this great task,

Manifesting the appearance of ordinary beings

And expounding the Dharma according to what is appropriate.

The Buddhas have complete mastery

Over all dharmas;

They know the inclinations and desires,

The aspirations and capacities

Of all sentient beings.

According to what they can receive,

They employ many parables

To expound the Dharma.

In accordance with the sentient beings’

Good roots from former lives,

They know whether these have matured

Or have not yet matured;

They deliberate and discern,

Clearly knowing all these matters,

And, with regard to the path of the One Vehicle,

Provisionally teach the three according to what is appropriate.