Chapter 3 : The Parable

At that time Sariputra danced for joy, then straightaway rose and, joining his palms and looking reverently at the August Countenance, spoke to the Buddha, “Now that I have heard this Dharma-sound from the World-honoured One, I have in my heart the thought of dancing for joy. I have gained something I never had before. Wherefore? Formerly, when I heard the Mahayana Dharma from the Buddha, I saw the bodhisattvas receive the prophecy that they should become Buddhas; but I had no part in this. I was sore grieved that I was to miss the profound wisdom of the Tathagata. O, World-honoured One! In the past I have dwelt alone in mountain forests and at the foot of trees; and, whether sitting or walking, I always had this thought, ‘These boddhisattvas and I entered the Dharma-nature of non-existence. How is it that the Tathagata shows us salvation by resort to the Hinayana Dharma.’ Today then only I know that this is our fault, not that of the World-honoured One. Wherefore? Had we waited for him to preach that on which the achievement of Anuttarasamyaksambodhi is based, then the Tathagata should have saved us with Mahayana. However, since we did not understand that the preaching had been based on expedient devices and accorded with what was appropriate, when we first heard the Buddha's dharma, directly we believed it, accepted it, had thoughts about it, and had attainment on it. What a pity!

“O, World-honoured One! From of old, day long and into the night I have been reproaching myself. But now that I have heard from the Buddha what I had never heard before, a Dharma that has never been before, I have cut off my doubts and second thoughts; my body and mind are at ease, and happily I have gained peace. Today, at long last, I know that I am truly a Buddha-son, born of the Buddha's mouth and born of Dharma-transformation. I have gained a portion of the Buddha's Dharma.

“Having heard this Dharma-sound, I
Have gained what I never had before.
My heart harbours a great joy,
And the net of my doubt is completely cleared away.
From of old, having received the Buddha's doctrine,
I have never lost the Mahayana.
The Buddha's voice is very rare,
Able to clear away the agonies of the living beings.
Having already gained the extinction of the outflows,
Upon hearing this I also cleared away my cares and agonies.
Dwelling in mountains and valleys,
Or being at the foot of trees in forests,
Whether seated or walking about,
I constantly thought of these things.
‘Ah!’ said I in profound self-reproach,
‘How can I have so deceived myself?
Though I am a Buddha-son,
Entered alike into dharmas without outflows,
But I shall not be able in the future
To expound the Unexcelled Path.
The golden thrity-two,
The ten strengths, and the various deliverances -
Are all together within one Dharma,
Yet I get none of it.
The eighty kinds of the wondrously good,
The eighteen unshared dharmas,
And such merits as these though there be,
Yet have I missed them all.’
When I go about alone,
I see the Buddha present in the great multitude,
His name being bruited about in all ten directions,
Broadly benefiting the living beings.
I think to myself that I have lost this advantage,
For I imagine I have been deceiving myself.
I constantly, day and night,
Think repeatedly about these things.
I wish to ask the World-honoured One about them,
Whether I have missed them or not.
I constantly see the World-honoured One
Praising the bodhisattvas.
Thus day and night
I constantly weigh and measure matters such as these.
Now I hear the Buddha's voice
With various powers of the expedient devices
Preach the Dharma in accord with what is appropriate,
With the purport of Ekayana.
With what is free of outflows, hard to conceive or to discuss,
He causes the living beings to reach the Platform of the Path.
Formerly I, attached to heretical views,
Was a teacher of Brahmans.
The World-honoured One, knowing my thoughts,
Uprooted the heresy and preached nirvana.
I, completely clearing away my heretical views,
Directly witnessed the Dharma of the Emptiness.
At that time in my heart I said to myself
That I had contrived to reach the passage into extinction.
But now, at last, I am aware
That this is no real passage into extinction.
When I contrive to become a Buddha,
When I am fully endowed with the thirty-two marks,
When a multitude of gods, men, and yaksas,
As well as dragons, spirits, and the like, do me honour,
At that time and not before shall I be able to say
That I am forever and completely extinguished without residue.
The Buddha, in the midst of the great multitude,
Says that I shall become a Buddha.
When I hear a Dharma-sound such as this,
My doubts and second thoughts are completely cleared away.
When I first heard the Buddha's preaching,
In my heart I was greatly alarmed:
‘Surely Mara is playing Buddha,
Confusing my thoughts!’
The Buddha by resort to various means,
Parables and phrases, preaches,
When I hear him, my net of doubt is severed
And the heart is as calm as the sea.
The Buddha says that in ages gone by
Incalculable Buddhas, now passed into extinction,
Dwelling securely in the midst of expedient devices,
Also preached this Dharma, every one of them;
That the Buddhas of the present and the future,
Their numbers past all reckoning,
Also, by resort to expedient devices,
Set forth a Dharma such as this one,
Just as the present World-honoured One,
Beginning with his birth and going through his departure from the household,
His attainment of the Path, and his turning of the Dharma-whell,
Has also preached by resort to expedient devices.
The World-honoured One preaches the Real Path,
While the Mara King has none of this.
By this token I know for a certainty
That this is no Mara playing Buddha,
But that I, having fallen into a net of doubt,
Thought this was the work of Mara.
When I hear the Buddha's gentle voice,
Profound, far removed from the ordinary understanding, and extremely subtle,
Setting forth the pure Dharma,
My heart is overjoyed,
My doubts and second thoughts are cleared away forever,
And I dwell securely in the midst of Ekayana:
Of a certainty I shall become a Buddha,
Revered by gods and men;
I shall turn the unexcelled Dharma-wheel,
Teaching and converting bodhisattvas.”

At that time, the Buddha declared to Sariputra, “I now speak in the midst of the great multitude of gods, men, sramanas, Brahmans, and the like. Formerly I, in the presence of four myriads of millions of Buddhas, for the sake of the Unexcelled Path was constantly teaching and converting you. And you, throughout the long night of time, following me, received my instruction but you have completely forgotten. It is because I led you hither by resort to expedient devices that you have been born into my Dharma. Accordingly, you say to yourself that you have already gained passage into extinction.

“Sariputra, long ago I taught you to aspire to the Ekayana Buddha Path. Now once again, wishing to cause you to recall the path you trod in keeping with your former vow, for those of Triple Yana I preach this sutra of the Mahayana, named the Lotus Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma, the Dharma by which Bodhisattvas are instructed and which the Buddhas watch over and keep in mind.

“Sariputra, you, in an age to come, beyond incalculable, limitless, inconceivable kalpas, having made offerings to several thousands of myriads of millions of Buddhas, having upheld the True Dharma and having acquired to perfection the limitless Dharma Paths trodden by bodhisattvas, shall be able to become a Buddha named Flower Glow (Padmaprabha), the Tathagata, the Worshipful, the Right and Universal Wise, the Perfectly Enlightened in Conduct, the Well Departed, the Understander of the World, the Unexcelled Worthy, the Controller and Teacher of Gods and Men, the Buddha, the World-honored One.

“That Buddha's domain shall be named Free of Defilements (Viraja). Its land shall be flat and even, clean, well-adorned, tranquil, rich, and abounding in gods and men. It shall have vaidurya for soil in an eightfold network of highways, each bordered with cords of pure gold. At their sides shall be columns of seven-jewelled trees, constantly bearing blossoms and fruits.

“Flower Glow, the Tathagata, shall furthermore by resort to the Triple Yana teach and convert the living beings. Though the time of that Buddha's emergence shall not be an evil age, by reason of his former vow he shall preach the Dharma of the Triple Yana. His kalpa shall be named Adorned with Great Jewels (Maharatnapratimandita). Why shall it be named Adorned with Great Jewels? It is because in that domain bodhisattvas shall be taken for great jewels. Those bodhisattvas shall be incalculable, limitless, past reckoning and discussion, beyond the reach of number or parable, such that, except with the power of Buddha-wisdom, none shall be able to know them.

“When they are about to walk, jewelled blossoms shall spring up to receive their feet. These bodhisattvas shall not have just launched their thoughts, but all shall have long since planted the roots of excellence, and in the presence of incalculable hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of Buddhas, shal have cultivated brahman-conduct purely, being constantly the objects of the Buddhas' praise, ever cultivating Buddha-wisdom, acquiring thoroughly great transcendental penetration, knowing well the gateways of all the dharmas, straightforward and honest, without deception, firm in intent and mindfulness. Such bodhisattvas as these shall fill that domain.

“Sariputra, the life span of the Buddha Flower Glow shall be twelve minor kalpas. The life span of the people of his domain shall be eight minor kalpas. Flower Glow, the Tathagata, when twelve minor kslpas have passed, shall present a prophecy of Anuttarasamyaksambodhi to the Bodhisattva Hard-full (Dhrtiparipurna) and tell the great multitude that this Bodhisattva Hard-full shall in turn become a Buddha, who shall be called He Whose Feet Tread Securely on Blossoms (Padmavrsabhavikramin), a Tathagato Rhan Samyaksambuddha.

“Sariputra, after the passage into extinction of this Buddha Flower Glow, his True Dharma shall abide in the world for thirty-two minor kalpas, and his Counterfeit Dharma shall abide in the world also for thirty-two minor kalpas.

“Sariputra, in an age to come
You shall become Buddha, venerable of universal wisdom.
Your name shall be called Flower Glow,
And you shall have incalculable multitudes,
Having made offerings to numberless Buddhas;
Having perfected bodhisattva conduct,
The strengths of dhyana and other such meritorious qualities;
And having borned direct witness to the Unexcelled Path.
When incalculable kalpas have passed,
The kalpa shall be named Adorned with Great Jewels.
The world shall be named Free of Defilement,
Being pure and without blemish,
Having vaidurya for its soil,
Setting off its highways with golden cords,
Its particoloured trees of seven jewels
Constantly blooming and bearing fruit.
The bodhisattvas of that domain
Shall be ever firm of intent and mindfulness,
Their supernatural penetrations and paramitas
All having been thoroughly perfected,
And they themselves, in the presence of numberless Buddhas,
Learned well the Bodhisattva Path.
Great worthies such as these
Shall have been converted by the Buddha Flower Glow.
When a prince, the Buddha,
Forsaking his domain and setting aside his honours,
In his final body
Shall leave the household life and achieve the Buddha Path.
The Buddha Flower Glow shall abide in the world
For a life span of twelve minor kalpas.
The people of his domain
Shall have a life span of eight minor kalpas.
After the Buddha shall have passed into extinction,
His True Dharma shall abide in the world
For thirty-two minor kalpas,
Broadly saving the living beings.
When his True Dharma is completely extinct,
There shall be a Counterfeit Dharma for thirty-two minor kalpas.
His sarira shall be spread far and wide,
Gods and men everywhere shall pay homage to it.
What the Buddha Flower Glow shall do
Shall all be as these.
That Sainted and Venerable Dual Abundant One
Shall be most distinguished, without his like.
He shall be none other than you yourself.
You should and ought to be delighted.”

At that time the fourfold multitude, as well as a great multitude of gods, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, and the like, seeing Sariputra receive in the Buddha's presence a prophecy of Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, danced endlessly for joy of heart and, each removing the uppermost garment he was wearing, presented it to the Buddha as an offering. Sakro Devanam Indrah and Brahma, the king of the gods, together with numberless heaven-sons, also paid homage to the Buddha with their fine divine garments, divine mandarava and maha-mandarava flowers. The divine garments they had scattered remained stationary in the open air, then turned about by themselves. The divine beings all together at once made music of a hundred thousand myriads of kinds in the open air and, raining down many divine flowers, spoke these words, “The Buddha in former times in Varanasi first turned the small Dharma-wheel. Now, at long last, he is turning the unexcelled and supremely great Dharma-wheel.

“O, World-honoured One, the Great Dharma King,
One who is perfect in compassion
Formerly, in Varanasi,
You turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Truths,
With discrimination preaching the dharmas,
The origination and extinction of their five collections.
Now again you are turning the most subtle,
Unexcelled great Dharma-wheel.
This Dharma is profound and recondite,
For few there are who can believe in it.
From of old we
Have often heard the World-honoured One preach,
But have never before heard such
A profound and subtle superior Dharma.
When the World-honoured One preach this Dharma,
We are all delighted accordingly.
The greatly wise Sariputra
Has now been able to receive an august prediction.
We also in this way
Shall certainly be able to become Buddhas,
In all the worlds
Most venerable and having none superior.
The Buddha Path, beyond reckoning and discussion,
Preached appropriately by resort to expedient devices.
What meritorious deeds are ours,
Whether in the present age or in ages gone by,
As well as the merit of having seen Buddhas,
We divert completely to the Buddha Path.”

At that time, Sariputra said to the Buddha, “O, World-honoured One! I now have no more doubts or second thoughts, since I have been personally enabled to receive in the Buddha's presence a prophecy of Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. These twelve hundred who freely control their own thoughts formerly dwelt on the level of learners. The Buddha constantly taught them, saying, ‘My Dharma can separate one from birth, old age, sickness, and death, making possible the complete achievement of nirvana.’ These persons, the learners of adepts, also thought, on the ground that they had separated themselves from the view of ‘I’ and from the view of ‘there is’ and ‘there is not’, that they had attained nirvana. Yet now, in the presence of the World-honoured One, having heard what they had never heard before, they have fallen into doubt and uncertainty. Excellent, O, World-honoured One! I beg you, for their sake, to explain the causes and conditions, thus separating them from their doubts and second thoughts.”

At that time the Buddha declared to Sariputra, “Did I not say formerly that the Buddhas, the World-honoured Ones, by resort to a variety of causes and conditions, parables, words and phrases, and expedient devices preach the Dharma; that all is for the purpose of Anuttarasamyaksambodhi? This is because this preaching is all effected in order to convert bodhisattvas. However, Sariputra, I shall now once again by resort to a parable clarify this meaning. For they who have intelligence gain understanding through parables.

“Sariputra, imagine that in a country, or a city-state, or a municipality, there is an elder, advanced in years and of incalculable wealth, owning many fields and houses, as well as servants. His house is broad and great; it has only one doorway, but great multitudes of human beings, a hundred, or two hundred, or even five hundred, are dwelling in it. The halls are rotting, the walls crumbling, the pillars decayed at their base, the beams and ridgepoles precariously tipped. Throughout the house and all at the same time, quite suddenly a fire breaks out, burning down all the apartments. The elder's sons, ten, or twenty, or thirty of them, are still in the house.

“The elder, sees this great fire breaking out from four directions, is alarmed and terrified. He then has this thought, ‘Though I am able to get out safely from this burning house, yet my sons within the burning house, attached as they are to their games, are unaware, ignorant, unperturbed and unafraid. The fire is coming to press in upon them, the pain will cut them to the quick. Yet at heart they are not horrified, nor have they any wish to leave.’

“The elder has the following thought, ‘I am a man of great physical strength. I might, in the folds of my robe or on top of a table, take them out of the house.’ He further thinks, ‘This house has only one doorway, which, furthermore, is narrow and small. The children are young and, as yet having not understanding, are in love with their playthings. They may fall victim to the fire and I can't take them out this way. I must explain the terror of it to them. This house is already on fire. They must make haste and get out in time. I must not let the fire burn them.’ When he has had these thoughts, then in accord with his decision he says explicitly to the children, ‘Get out quickly, all of you!’ Though the father, in his compassion, urges them with explicit words, yet the children, attached as they are to their games, will not deign to believe him or to accept what he says. Unalarmed and unafraid, they have not the least intention of leaving. For they do not even know what a fire is, or what a house is, or what it means to lose anything. All they do is run back and forth, looking at their father, no increase in terror.

“At that time, the elder has this thought, ‘This house is already aflame with a great fire. If we do not get out in time, the children and I shall certainly be burnt. I will now devise an expedient, whereby I shall enable the children to escape this disaster.’ The father knows the children's preconceptions, whereby each child has his preferences, his feelings being specifically attached to his several precious toys and unusual playthings. If they hear what their father promises, they will be very much attached to.

“Accordingly, the father proclaims to them, ‘The things you so love to play with are rare and hard to get. Things like these, a variety of goat-drawn carriages, deer-drawn carriages, and ox-drawn carriages, are now outside the door for you to play with. If you do not get them, you are certain to regret it later. Come out of this burning house quickly, all of you! I will give all of you what you desire.’ The children hear the rare playthings their father says, which are exactly what they desire, the heart of each is emboldened. Shoving one another aside in a mad race, all together in a rush they leave the burning house.

“At this time, the elder, seeing that his children have contrived to get out safely, and that all are seated in an open space at a crossroad, is no longer troubled. Secure at heart, he dances for joy. Then the children all speak to their father, ‘Father, the things you promised us a while ago - the lovely playthings - give us now, if you please.’

“At that time, the elder thinks that since his wealth is limitless, he should give all his sons great carriages. The carriage is high and wide, adorned with a multitude of jewels, surrounded by posts and handrails, little bells suspended on all four sides. Also, on its top are spread out parasols and canopies. Further, it is adorned with an assortment of rare and precious jewels. Intertwined with jewelled cords and hung with flowered tassels, having heaps of carpets decorated with strips of cloth, as well as vermilion-coloured cushions, also with many attendants serving and guarding it. It is yoked to a white ox, whose skin is pure white, whose bodily form is lovely, whose muscular strength is great, whose tread is even and fleet like the wind. Wherefore? Because this elder, of wealth incalculable, his various storehouses all full to overflowing, has this thought, ‘My wealth being limitless, I may not give small, inferior carriages to my children. Now these little boys are all my sons. I love them without distinction. I have carriages such as these, made of the seven jewels, in incalculable numbers. I must give one to each of them with undiscriminating thought. I may not make distinctions. I take these things and distribute them to the whole domain, not stinting even then. How much more should I do so to my own children!’ At this time, the children, each mounting his great carriage, gain something they have never had before, something they have never hoped for.

“Sariputra, what do you think? This elder first promises the three carriages but then gives equally to all his children great carriages adorned with precious jewels, is he guilty of falsehood or not?”

Sariputra said, “No, World-honoured One! This elder has but enabled his children to escape the calamity of fire, thus preserving their bodily lives. He is guilty of no falsehood. Why? Because the preservation of their bodily lives means that they have already received a lovely plaything. How much more so when he has rescued them from that burning house, he gives them jewelled carriages! O, World-honoured One! Had this elder given them not one small carriage, he would still have no guilt. Why? Because this elder first thought, ‘By resort to an expedient device I will enable the children to get out.’ For this reason he is guilty of no falsehood. How much more is this true when the elder, knowing that his wealth is incalculable and wishing to confer advantage on his children, gives to all equally a great carriage!”

The Buddha proclaimed to Sariputra, “Excellent! Excellent! It is as you say! Sariputra, the Tathagata is also like this. That is, he is the Teacher of all the worlds. To fear, terror, debilitation, anguish, care, worry, ignorance, and obscurity he puts an absolute end. Also, completely achieving the incalculable wisdom and insight, might, as well as fearlessness; having great transcendental power and the power of wisdom; perfecting the practical expedients, as well as of great good will and great compassion; constantly unflagging; and constantly seeking the good, he benefits all. Thus he enters this Triple Realm in order to save the living beings from the suffering of birth, old age, sickness, death, worry, grief, woe, agony, folly, delusion, blindness, obscurity, and the three poisons. He then teaches and converts them, enabling them to attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. He sees that the bodhisattvas are scorched by birth, old age, sickness, death, care, grief, woe, and anguish. They also, because of fivefold desire for wealth, suffer a variety of woes. Also, since they adhere greedily and seek persistently, they currently suffer many woes, and shall hereafter suffer the woes of hell, beasts, and hungry ghosts or, if they are born in the heavens or in the midst of men, suffer woe in the straits of destitution, or the woe of separation from what they love, or the woe of union with what they hate. It is in the midst of such various woes as these that the bodhisattvas are plunged, yet they cavort in joy, unaware, unknowing, unalarmed, unafraid, neither experiencing disgust or seeking release. In this six destinies of the Triple Realm they run about hither and yon, and, though they encounter great woes, they are not concerned.

“Sariputra, the Buddha, having seen this, then thinks, ‘I am the Teacher of the bodhisattvas; I must rescue them from their woes and troubles and give them the joy of incalculable and limitless Buddha-wisdom, thus causing them to frolic.’

“Sariputra, the Tathagata also has this thought, ‘If merely by resort to my transcendental power and the power of my wisdom, and casting aside expedient devices, for the bodhisattvas' sake I praise the Tathagata's wisdom and insight, might and his fearlessness, the bodhisattvas cannot thereby attain salvation. Wherefore? These bodhisattvas, who have not yet escaped from birth, old age, sickness, death, care, grief, woe, and anguish, how can they understand the Buddha's wisdom?

“Sariputra, just as that elder, though physically strong, did not use his strength, but, by resort to gentle expedient devices, rescued his children from the troubles of the burning house, then gave each of them a great carriage adorned with precious jewels, just so does the Tathagata in the same way, though he has various sorts of might and fearlessness, refrain from using them, but merely, by resort to wisdom and expedient devices, rescue the bodhisattvas from the six destinies of the Triple Realm, preaching to them Triple Yana - Sravaka, Pratyekabuddha, and Buddha Yana - and saying to them, ‘You all are to have no desire to dwell in the six destines of the Triple Realm. Have no lust for coarse and broken-down visible matter, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangibles! If, clinging to them greedily, you display lust for them, then you shall be harmed. Quick, get out of the Triple Realm! You shall get Triple Yana - Sravaka, Pratyekabuddha, and Buddha Yana. I now guarantee it, and I am never false. All you need to do is strive earnestly with effort and you will attain nirvana.’ By such expedient devices as these the Tathagata attracts and urges the bodhisattvas. He also says, ‘You all are to know that the dharmas of these Triple Yana are praised by the saints, are their own masters, unbound, depending on nothing and seeking nothing. Mounted on these Triple Yana, one gains for oneself the pleasure of faculties, strengths, intuitive perceptions, paths, dhyana-concentrations, deliverances, samadhis, and the like, all without outflows, then gets incalculable tranquil joys’.

“Sariputra, if there are bodhisattvas who have inner wisdom nature; who, having heard the dharma from the World-honoured One, believe and accept it; who, earnestly striving and wishing to leave the Triple Realm, seek nirvana for themselves; this is named Sravaka Yana. They are like those children who left the burning house in quest of goat-drawn carriages. If there are bodhisattvas who, having heard the dharma from the World-honoured One, believe and accept it, know profoundly the causes and conditions of the dharmas; who, earnestly striving and seeking the wisdom which is so of itself, desire the quietude which is content with its own goodness; this is called Pratyekabuddha Yana. They are like those children who left the burning house in quest of deer-drawn carriages. If there are bodhisattvas who, having heard the dharma from the World-honoured One, believe and accept it; who, vigorously practising and striving, seek Wisdom of All Mode, Buddha-wisdom, the wisdom which is so of itself, wisdom without a teacher, the wisdom and insight of the Tathagata, his might, and his fearlessness; who, mercifully recalling and comforting incalculable living beings and benefiting gods and men, convey all to deliverance; this is named Mahayana. It is because the bodhisattvas seek this yana that they are named Mahasattvas. They are like those children who leave the burning house in quest of ox-drawn carriages.

“Sariputra, as the elder, seeing his children leave the burning house tranquilly and reach a safe place, thinking that his wealth is incalculable, gives each of his children a great carriage, just so in the same way does the Tathagata, being the Teacher of all bodhisattvas, when he sees incalculable thousands of millions of bodhisattvas going through the gateway of the Buddha's doctrine off the painful, fearful, and precipitous pathway of the Triple Realm, there to gain the joy of nirvana - just so, does the Tathagata at that time have this thought, ‘I have a treasure house of incalculable, limitless wisdom, might, various sorts of fearlessness, and other such Buddha-dharma treasures. These bodhisattvas are all converted by me. I will give Ekayana equally to all, not allowing any of them to gain passage into extinction for himself alone, but conveying them all to the extinction of the Tathagata.’ To all these bodhisattvas who have escaped the Triple Realm he gives the Buddhas' dhyana-concentration, their deliverances, and other dharmas, all of one appearance, of one kind, all praised by the saints, all able to bring about the prime, pure, and subtle joy. Sariputra, just as that elder, first having enticed his children with three carriages and then having given them only one great carriage, adorned with jewels and supremely comfortable, is yet not guilty of falsehood, just so in the same way is the Tathagata free of falsehood, though he first preached the Triple Yana in order to entice the bodhisattvas, then conveyed them to deliverance by resort to only the Ekayana. Wherefore? Because the Tathagata, having a treasure house of incalculable wisdom, might, various sorts of fearlessness, and other dharmas, is able to give the Dharma of the Ekayana to all bodhisattvas; but they are not all able to accept it. That is why he did not preach it at first. Sariputra, for these reasons be it known that the Buddhas, by resort to the power of expedient devices, conceal the Ekayana and speak of three.

“Suppose that, for example, an elder
Has a great house.
The house, since it is old,
Is in a state of collapse:
The halls are lofty and precarious,
The bases of the pillars crumbling and rotten,
The beams and ridgepoles aslant,
The stairways and landings disintegrating,
The walls and partitions crack,
The clay and paint peeling off,
The thatch worn thin and in disarray,
The rafters and eavepoles coming loose,
Totally misshapen
And full of assorted filth.
There are five hundred persons
Dwelling within.
At that time the elder
Is outside of the door.
He sees his sons
Entering the house to play.
The elder sees that the house
With fire breaks out from four sides.
He quickly enters into the house,
Urges his sons to get out.
The children, knowing nothing,
Though they hear their father's admonitions,
Still, addicted as before to their pleasures,
Amuse themselves ceaselessly.
At that time, the elder
Has this thought:
‘The children, being this way,
Make my cares even more acute.
Now this house
Has not one pleasant feature,
Yet the children,
Steeped in their games
And not heeding my instructions,
Will surely be injured by the fire.’
Then straightaway, intentionally
Devising some expedients,
He announces to the children:
‘I have various
Precious playthings,
Lovely carriages adorned with fine jewels,
Goat-drawn carriages, deer-drawn carriages
And carriages drawn by great oxen,
Now outside the door.
Come out, all of you!
For your sake I
Have made these carriages,
Following the desire of your own thoughts.
You may amuse yourselves with them.’
When the children hear him tell
Of carriages such as these,
Straightaway, racing one another,
They run out at a gallop,
Reaching an empty spot
And getting away from woes and troubles.
The elder, seeing his children
Able to get out of the burning house
And abiding at a crossroad,
Sits on his lion throne
And joyfully says to himself,
‘Now I am happy!
These children
Were very hard to bring into the world and raise.
Foolish, and little, and knowing nothing,
They entered a dangerous house,
Where there were raging flames of great fires
Rising up together from all four sides.
Yet these children
Were addicted to their games.
I have already saved them,
Enabling them to escape trouble,
With no obstacle anymore.
I am now happy.’
At that time the children,
Knowing that their father was serenely seated,
All went before their father
And said to their father,
‘We beg you to give us
The three kinds of jewelled chariots
That you promised us a while ago, saying,
“Children, come out!
I will use three kinds of carriages
To accord with your wishes.”
Now is the right time.
Please give them to us!’
The elder, being very rich,
And having treasure houses filled with
Gold, silver, and vaidurya,
Giant clam shells and agate,
From many precious objects
Has several carriages made,
Decked with ornaments,
Surrounded with handrails and shielding,
With little bells hanging from all four sides
And golden cords inter-twined;
With pearl-studded netting
Stretching out over the top,
And gold-flowered tassels
Dropping down here and there;
With assorted ornaments in many colours
Encircling them all around;
With soft and fine silk and cotton
Made into cushions;
With superbly fine mats,
Their value in the thousands of millions,
Pure white and spotlessly clean,
Covering them;
With great white oxen,
Fat, and in the prime of life, and endowed with great strength,
Their physical form lovely,
Yoked to the jewelled carriages;
With many footmen, fore and aft,
Attending them.
These lovely carriages
He gives equally to all the children.
The children at this time,
Dancing for joy
And mounting these jewelled carriages,
Cavort in all four directions,
Playing and enjoying themselves,
Completely at ease and feeling no encumbrances.
Listen, Sariputra:
I, too, am like this,
Being the Most Venerable among many saints,
The teacher of the world.
All the living beings,
Are mostly Buddha-sons,
Retreated from the Bodhi Path
Forgot their great determination and vow
Are profoundly addicted to worldly pleasure
And have no wise thoughts.
The Triple Realm is completely insecure,
Just like a house afire,
Being full of many woes
Most frightful,
Constantly marked by birth, old age,
Sickness, death, and care -
Fires such as these,
Raging without cease,
Being not aware,
Having no intention of going out.
The Tathagata, having already left
The woes of the Triple Realm.
Now this Triple Realm
Is converted by me.
The living beings within
Are all Buddha-sons.
Yet, now these places
Have many cares and troubles,
From which I alone
Can save them.
Even though I teach and command,
Yet they neither believe nor accept,
But to their tainting desires
Are so profoundly addicted that I,
By resort to an expedient device,
Preach the Triple Yana to them,
Causing the bodhisattvas
To know the woes of the Triple Realm
And demonstrating and setting forth
The Supra-mundane Path.
If these bodhisattvas
With fixed thought
Attain to arhat
With peaceful mind and being flawless
Perfecting the three clarities
And the six supernatural penetrations,
They shall include among them those who are cause-enlightened ones
And non-backsliding bodhisattvas.
O, Sariputra!
For your sake, I,
By resort to this parable,
Preach the Eka Buddha Yana;
All of you, if you can
Believe and accept these words,
Shall without exception
Completely attain to the Buddha Path.
This yana is fine,
Supremely pure,
In all the worlds
Having not its master.
It is a thing which the Buddha gladdens,
And all bodhisattvas
Should praise,
To which they should pay homage and do obeisance.
The Buddhas and I
Have perfected
Incalculable thousands of millions
Of might and deliverance,
Dhyana-concentrations and wisdom,
And other dharmas.
Having attained this yana
Night and day, for a number of kalpas,
With bodhisattvas
To mount this jewelled yana
Head directly to the Platform of the Path,
Perfecting the Buddha-wisdom.
For these reasons,
Seek as you will in all ten directions:
There is no other yana,
Apart from the expedient devices of the Buddhas.
I tell you, Sariputra,
You men
Are all Buddha-sons
And I am your Teacher.
For kalpa upon kalpa, you
Have been scorched by multitudinous woes,
And I have saved you all,
Causing you to leave the Triple Realm.
Although earlier I said
That you would pass into extinction,
This was to be a mere end to birth and death,
And no true extinction.
What you should now achieve
Is nothing other than Buddha-wisdom.
If there are bodhisattvas
In the midst of this multitude,
They can listen single-mindedly
To the Buddhas' real Dharma.
Even though the Buddhas, the World-honoured Ones,
Resort to expedient devices,
The living beings whom they convert
Are all bodhisattvas.
If there are persons of slight understanding,
Profoundly addicted to lust and desire,
For their sake
I preach the Truth of Suffering,
And the beings rejoice at heart
That they have gained something they never had before.
The Buddha's preaching of the Truth of Suffering
Is reality without falsehood.
If there are living beings
Who, not knowing the origin of woe,
Are profoundly addicted to the causes of woe,
Unable to cast them off even for a moment,
For their sake,
By resort to an expedient device, I preach the Path:
That the origin of all woes
Is desire, which is their basis.
If one extinguishes desire,
Woes will have nothing on which to rest.
The extinction of woes
Is called the Third Truth.
For the sake of the Truth of Extinction
One cultivates the Path.
Separation from the bonds of woe
Is called the attainment of deliverance.
As for these men, whereby
Do they attain deliverance?
It is the mere separation of self from falsehood
That is called deliverance.
In fact, however, they have not yet attained
The deliverance of the Buddha.
The Buddha says that these men
Are not yet truly extinguished,
For these men have not yet attained
The Unexcelled Path.
At heart I have no wish
To cause them to attain passage into extinction.
I am the Dharma King,
With respect to the Dharma acting completely at will.
To bring the gift of tranquillity to the living beings
Is the reason why I appear in the world.
You, Sariputra!
As for this Dharma-seal of mine,
I wish to benefit the world,
And therefore I preach it.
Wherever you go,
Do not propagate it recklessly.
If there is a listener
Who with appropriate joy receives it upon the crown of his head,
You are to know that this man
Will attain to non-backsliding.
If there is one who believes and accepts
This Sutra-dharma,
That man has already, in times gone by,
Seen Buddhas of the past,
Deferentially made offerings to them,
And also heard this Dharma.
If among men there is one who can
Believe what you preach,
Then it means that he sees me
And also sees you
And the sravakas
As well as the bodhisattvas.
This Sutra of the Dharma Blossom
Is preached for those of profound wisdom;
Those of shallow perception, if they hear it,
Shall go astray and not understand.
For all sravakas
And pratyekabuddhas,
The content of this sutra
Is beyond the reach of their faculties.
Even you, Sariputra,
Where this sutra is concerned,
Gained entry through faith.
How much more so the other sravakas!
Those other sravakas
By virtue of their belief in the Buddha's words
Accept this sutra;
It does not fall within the range of their own wisdom.
Also, Sariputra,
To the proud, arrogant, lazy, and indolent,
To those who reckon in terms of ‘I’,
Do not preach this sutra.
To the ordinary fellow of shallow perception,
Profoundly addicted to the five desires,
Hearing yet unable to understand,
Also do not preach.
If a man, not believing,
Harbours doubts and uncertainties,
And with contorted face,
Maligns this sutra
Then he cuts off all
Worldly Buddha-seeds.
You are now to hear me tell
Of that man's retribution for his sins.
Whether the Buddha be in the world,
Or whether it be after his passage into extinction,
Seeing that there are readers, and reciters,
And copiers, and keepers of this sutra,
Shall, in disparagement, deprecation, hatred, and envy of them,
Harbour grudges against them,
The retribution for these men's sins
You are now to listen.
These men, at the end of their lives,
Shall enter the Avici Hell,
Where they shall fulfil one kalpa.
When the kalpa is ended, they shall be reborn there.
In this way, spinning around
Throughout kalpas unnumbered.
From hell emerging,
They shall fall into the rank of beasts.
If they are dogs or yeh-kan,
Their forms shall be hairless and emaciated,
Spotted and scabbed,
Things from which men shrink.
They shall also by men be
Detested and despised,
Ever suffering from hunger and thirst,
Their flesh and bones dried out and decayed.
While living, they are pricked by poisonous thistles;
When dead, they are covered with tiles and stones.
It is because they have cut off the Buddha-seed
That they suffer these retributions for their sins.
If they become camels,
Or if they are born among donkeys,
On their bodies they shall ever carry heavy loads
And suffer the blows of rods and whips,
Thinking only of water and grass
And knowing nothing else.
For maligning this sutra
They shall suffer punishments such as these.
If they are those who become yeh-kan,
They shall enter human settlements,
Their bodies spotted and scabbed,
Also missing one eye,
By the children
Beaten,
Suffering all manner of woe and pain,
At times to the point of death.
Having died in this form,
They shall then be endowed with the bodies of serpents,
Their forms long and huge,
To the extent of five hundred yojanas,
Deaf, dull, and legless,
Writhing about on their bellies,
By little insects
Pecked at and eaten,
Day and night suffering woe
And enjoying no respite.
For maligning this sutra
They shall suffer punishments such as these.
If they contrive to become humans,
They shall be obscure and dull of faculties,
Short, mean, bent over, and crippled,
Blind, deaf, and hunched.
If they have anything to say,
Men shall neither believe nor accept it.
The breath of their mouths ever stinking,
They shall be possessed by ghosts,
Poor and lowly,
Doing men's bidding,
Much plagued by sickness and emaciation,
Having nothing on which to rely.
Though they may personally attach themselves to men,
Men do not have them in their thoughts.
If they gain something,
Shortly afterward they shall forget and lose it.
If they study medicine
Curing sickness according to the prescription,
The sickness shall be worsening
Or to the extent of killing.
If they themselves have diseases,
No man shall be able to save them;
Even if they take good medicine,
The sickness shall be all the more acute.
If other people cause rebellion,
And plunder and rob,
For such crimes as these
The retribution pervertedly falls on them.
Sinners such as these
Shall never see the Buddha,
The King of the many saints,
Preaching the Dharma, teaching, and converting.
Sinners such as these
Shall ever be born in places of trouble.
Mad, deaf, and confused of thought,
They shall never hear the Dharma.
For kalpas as numberless
As Ganges's sand,
Whenever born, they shall be deaf and dumb,
Of defective faculties,
Ever dwelling in hell
As if amusing themselves in a pleasant garden
Or being in other evil paths
As if in their own homes.
Camels, donkeys, pigs, and dogs -
Is where they dwell.
For maligning this sutra
They shall suffer punishments such as these.
If they contrive to become human beings,
They shall be deaf, blind, and dumb,
Poor, destitute, and in general decrepit,
As their own adornment.
Swollen with water or dried out and wizened,
Scabs, boils,
And ills like these
They shall have for their dress.
Their bodies a constant stench,
Filthy and unclean,
Profoundly addicted to the view of ‘I’,
They shall magnify their anger.
Their lust being acute,
There shall be nothing to choose between them and birds or beasts.
For maligning this sutra
They shall suffer punishments such as these.
I say to you, Sariputra,
Of those who malign this sutra
That, if I were to tell their punishments,
Even if exhausting a kalpa, I will not finish them.
For this reason
I expressly tell you,
In the midst of ignorant men
Do not preach this sutra.
If there are those of keen faculties,
Of knowledge clear and bright,
Of much learning and strong memory,
Who seek the Buddha Path,
For men like these,
And only for them, may you preach.
If a man, having formerly seen
Hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas,
Has planted seeds of goodness,
His profound thought being firm,
For a man like this,
And only for him, may you preach.
If a man is earnestly,
Constantly cultivating thoughts of good will
And not begrudging his own body or his own life,
Then for him may you preach.
If a man is deferential
And has no other thoughts,
Separating himself from common fools
And dwelling alone in mountains and marshes,
For men like him,
And only for them, may you preach.
Also, Sariputra,
If you see that there is a man
Who rejects evil acquaintances
And approaches wholesome friends,
For men like him,
And only for them, may you preach.
If you see a Buddha-son
Keeping a discipline as pure
As a bright jewel
And seeking the sutras of the Mahayana,
For men like him,
And only for them, may you preach.
If a man, having no anger,
Is honest and gentle,
Ever pitying all
And venerating the Buddhas,
For men like him,
And only for them, may you preach.
Again, there may be a Buddha-son
In the midst of the great multitude
Who, with pure thought
And by resort to various means,
Parables, and phrases,
Preaches the dharma, unobstructed.
For men like him,
And only for them, may you preach.
If there is a Buddha-son
Who for the sake of Wisdom of All Mode
Seeks the Dharma in all four directions,
With joined palms receiving it on the crown of his head,
Desiring merely to receive and keep
The sutras of the Mahayana,
Not accepting so much
As a single gatha from the other sutras,
For men like him,
And only for them, may you preach.
If you see a man
Determining to seek the Mahayana
As a man wholeheartedly
Seeks the Buddha-sarira,
In this way seeking the sutras
And, having found them, receive them on the crown of one's head.
Such a person shall never again
Wish to seek other sutras,
Nor has he ever before thought
Of the books of the heresy.
For men like him,
And only for them, may you preach.
I say to you, Sariputra,
That I, in telling of this sort
Of seekers of the Buddha Path,
Could spend a whole kalpa and still not finish.
If they are men of this sort,
Then they can believe and understand,
And for their sake you may preach
The Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma Blossom.