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The Lotus Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
- Chapter Four
- Belief and Understanding
At that time, when the men of lifelong wisdom Subhuti, Mahakatyayana,
Mahakashyapa, and Mahamaudgalyayana heard from the Buddha a Law that they had never known
before, and heard the World-Honored One prophesy that Shariputra would attain
anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, their minds were moved as seldom before and danced for joy. At
once they rose from their seats, arranged their robes, bared their right shoulders and
bowed their right knees to the ground. Pressing their palms together with a single mind,
they bent their bodies in a gesture of respect and, gazing up in reverence at the face of
the Honored One, said to the Buddha: "We stand at the head of the monks and are all
of us old and decrepit. We believed that we had already attained nirvana and that we were
incapable of doing more, and so we never sought to attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
"It has been a long time since the World-Honored One first began
to expound the Law. During that time we have sat in our seats, our bodies weary and inert,
meditating solely on the concepts of emptiness, non-form, and non-action. But as to the
pleasures and transcendental power of the Law of the bodhisattva or the purifying of
Buddha lands and the salvation of living beings-these our minds took no joy in. Why is
this? Because the World-Honored One had made it possible for us to transcend the threefold
world and to attain the enlightenment of nirvana.
"Moreover, we are old and decrepit. When we heard of this
anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, which the Buddha uses to teach and convert the bodhisattvas, our
minds were not fill ed with any thought of joy or approval. But now in the presence of the
Buddha we have heard this voice-hearer receive a prophecy that he will attain
anuttara-samyak-sambodhi and our minds are greatly delighted. We have gained what we have
never before. Suddenly we have been able to hear a Law that is rarely encountered,
something we never expected up to now, and we look upon ourselves as profoundly fortunate.
We have gained great goodness and benefit, an immeasurably rare jewel, something unsought
that came of itself.
"World-Honored One, we would be pleased now to employ a parable to
make clear our meaning. Suppose there was a man, still young in years, who abandoned his
father, ran away, and lived for a long time in another land, for perhaps ten, twenty, or
even fifty years. As he drew older, he found himself increasingly poor and in want. He
hurried about in every direction, seeking clothing and food, wandering farther and farther
afield until by chance he turned his steps in the direction of his homeland.
"The father meanwhile had been searching for his son without
success and had taken up residence in a certain city. The father's household was very
wealthy, with immeasurable riches and treasures. Gold, silver, lapis Lazuli, coral, amber,
and crystal beads all filled and overflowed from his storehouses. He had many grooms and
menservants, clerks and attendants, and elephants, horses, carriages, oxen, and goats
beyond number. He engaged in profitable ventures at home and in all the lands around, and
also had dealings with many merchants and traveling vendors.
"At this time the impoverished son wandered from village to
village, passing through various lands and towns, till at last he came to the city where
his father was residing. The father thought constantly of his son, but though he had been
parted from him for over fifty years, he had never told anyone else about the matter. He
merely pondered to himself, his heart filed with regret and longing. He thought to himself
that he was old and decrepit. He had great wealth and possessions, gold silver and rare
treasures that filled and overflowed from his storehouses, but he had no son, so that if
one day he should die, the wealth and possessions would be scattered and lost, for there
was no one to entrust them to.
"This was the reason he constantly thought so earnestly of his
son. And he also had this thought: If I could find my son and entrust my wealth and
possessions to him, then I could feel contented and easy in mind and would have no more
worries.
"World-Honored One, at that time the impoverished son drifted from
one kind of employment to another until he came by chance to his father's house. He stood
by the side of the gate, gazing far off at his father, who was seated on a lion throne,
his legs supported by a jeweled footrest, while Brahmans, noblemen, and householders,
uniformly deferential, surrounded him. Festoons of pearls worth thousands or tens of
thousands adorned his body, and clerks, grooms and menservants holding white fly whisks
stood in attendance to left and right. A jeweled canopy covered him, with flowered banners
hanging from it, perfumed water had been sprinkled over the ground, heaps of rare flowers
were scatted about, and precious objects were ranged here and there, brought out, put
away, handed over and received. Such were the many different types of adornments, the
emblems of prerogative and marks of distinction.
"When the impoverished son saw how great was his father's power
and authority, he was filled with fear and awe and regretted he had ever come to such a
place. Secretly he thought to himself; This must be some king, or one who is equal to a
king. This is not the sort of place where I can hire out my labor and gain a living. It
would be better to go to some poor village where, if I work hard, I will find a place and
can easily earn food and clothing. If I stay here for long, I may be seized and pressed
into service! Having thought in this way, he raced from the spot.
At that time the rich old man, seated on his lion throne, spied his son
and recognized him immediately. His heart was filled with great joy and at once he
thought: Now I have someone to entrust my storehouses of wealth and possessions to! My
thoughts have constantly been with this son of mine but I had no way of seeing him. Now
suddenly he had appeared of himself, which is exactly what I would have wished. Though I
am old and decrepit, I still care what becomes of my belongings.
"Thereupon he dispatched a bystander to go after the son as
quickly as possible and bring him back. At that time the messenger raced swiftly after the
son and laid hold of him. The impoverished son, alarmed and fearful, cried out in an angry
voice, 'I have done nothing wrong! Why am I being seized?' But the messenger held on to
him more tightly than ever and forcibly dragged him back.
"At that time the son thought to himself, I have committed no
crime and yet I am taken prisoner. Surely I am going to be put to death! He was more
terrified than ever and sank to the ground, fainting with despair.
"The father, observing this from a distance, spoke to the
messenger, saying, 'I have no need of this man. Don't force him to come here, but sprinkle
cold water on his face so he will regain his senses. Then say nothing more to him!'
"Why did he do that? Because the father knew that his son was of
humble outlook an ambition, and that his own rich and eminent position would be difficult
for the son to accept. He knew very well that this was his son, but as a form of expedient
means he refrained from saying to anyone, 'this is my son.'
"The messenger said to the son, "I am releasing you now. You
may go anywhere you wish.' The impoverished son was delighted, having gained what he had
not had before, and picked himself up from the ground and went off to the poor village in
order to look for food and clothing.
"At that time the rich man, hoping to entice his son back again,
decided to employ an expedient means and send two men as secret messengers, men who were
lean and haggard and had no imposing appearance. 'Go seek out that poor man and approach
him casually. Tell him you know a place where he can earn twice the regular wage. If he
agrees to the arrangement, then bring him here and put him to work. If he asks what sort
of work he will be put to, say that he will be employed to clear away excrement, and that
the two of you will be working with him.'
"The two messengers then set out at once to find the poor man, and
when they had done so, spoke to him as they had been instructed. At that time the
impoverished son asked for an advance on his wages and then went with the men to help
clear away excrement.
When the father saw his son, he pitied and wondered at him. Another
day, when he was gazing out the window, he saw his son in the distance, his body thin and
haggard, filthy with excrement, dirt, sweat and defilement. The father immediately took
off his necklaces, his soft fine garments and his other adornments and put on clothes that
were ragged and soiled. He smeared dirt on his body, took in his right hand a utensil for
removing excrement, and assuming a gruff manner, spoke to the laborers, saying, 'Keep at
your work! You mustn't be lazy!' By employing this expedient means, he was able to
approach his son.
"Later he spoke to his son again, saying, 'Now then, young man!
You must keep on at this work and not leave me anymore. I will increase your wages, and
whatever you need in the way of utensils, rice, flour, salt, vinegar, and the like you
should be in no worry about. I have an old servant I can lend you when you need him. You
may set your mind at ease. I will be like a father to you, so have no more worries. Why do
I say this? Because I am well along in years, but you are still young and sturdy. When you
are at work, you are never deceitful or lazy or speak angry or resentful words. You don't
seem to have any faults of that kind the way my other workers do. From now on, you will be
like my own son.' And the rich man proceeded to select a name and assign it to the man as
though he were his child.
"At this time the impoverished son, though he was delighted at
such treatment, still thought of himself as a person of humble station who was in the
employ of another. Therefore the rich man kept him clearing away excrement for the next
twenty years. By the end of this time, the son felt that he was understood and trusted,
and he could come and go at ease, but he continued to live in the same place as before.
"World-Honored One, at that time the rich man fell ill and knew he
would die before long. He spoke to his impoverished son, saying, "I now have great
quantities of gold, silver, and rare treasures that fill and overflow from my storehouses.
You are to take complete charge of the amounts I have and of what is to be handed out and
gathered in. This is what I have in mind, and I want you to carry out my wishes. Why is
this? Because from now on, you and I will not behave as two different persons. So you must
keep your wits about you and see that there are no mistakes or losses.'
"At that time the impoverished son, having received these
instructions, took over the surveillance of all the goods, and gold, silver and rare
treasures, and the various storehouses, but never thought of appropriated for himself so
much as the cost of a single meal. He continued to live where he had before, unable to
cease thinking of himself as mean and lowly.
"After some time had passed, the farther perceived that his son
was bit by bit becoming more self-assured and magnanimous in outlook, that he was
determined to accomplish great things and despised his former low opinion of himself.
Realizing that his own end was approaching, he ordered his son to arrange a meeting with
his relatives and the king of the country, the high ministers, and the noblemen and
householders. When they were all gathered together, he proceeded to make this
announcement: "Gentlemen, you should know that this is my son, who was born to me. In
such-and-such a city he abandoned me and ran away, and for over fifty years he wandered
about suffering hardship. His original name is such-and-such, and my name is
such-and-such. In the past, when I was still living in my native city, I worried about him
and so I set out in search of him. Sometime after, I suddenly chanced to meet up with him.
This is the truth my son, and I will in truth am his father. Now everything that belongs
to me, all my wealth and possessions, shall belong entirely to this son of mine. Matters
of outlay and income that have occurred in the past this son of mine is familiar
with."
"World-Honored One, when the impoverished son heard these words of
his father, he was filled with great joy, having gained what he never had before, and he
thought to himself, I originally had no mind to covet or seek such things. Yet now these
stores of treasures have come of their own accord!
"World-Honored One, this old man with his great riches is none
other than the Thus Come One, and we are all like the Buddha's sons. The Thus Come One
constantly tells us that we are his sons. But because of the three sufferings,
World-Honored One, in the midst of birth and death we undergo burning anxieties,
delusions, and ignorance, delighting in and clinging to lesser doctrines. But today the
World-Honored One causes us to ponder carefully, to cast aside such doctrines, the filth
of frivolous debate.
"We were diligent and exerted ourselves in this matter until we
had attained nirvana, which is like one day's wages. And once we had attained it, our
hearts were filled with great joy and we considered that this was enough. At once we said
to ourselves, "Because we have been diligent and exerted ourselves with regard to the
Buddhist Law, we have gained this breadth and wealth of understanding."
"But the World-Honored One, knowing from past times how our minds
cling to unworthy desires and delight in lesser doctrines, pardoned us and let us be, not
trying to explain to us by saying, You will come to possess the insight of the Thus Come
One, your portion of the store of treasures!' Instead the World-Honored One employed the
power of expedient means, preaching to us the wisdom of the Thus Come One in such a way
that we might heed the Buddha and attain nirvana, which is only day's wages. And because
we considered this to be a great gain, we had no wish to pursue the Great Vehicle.
"In addition, though we expounded and set forth the Buddha wisdom
for the sake of the Bodhisattvas, we ourselves did not aspire to attain it. Why do I say
this? Because the Buddha, knowing that our minds delight in lesser doctrines, employed the
power of expedient means to preach in a way that was appropriate for us. So we did not
know that we were in truth the sons of the Buddha. But now at least we know it.
"With regard to the Buddha wisdom, the World-Honored One is never
begrudging. Why do I say this? From times past we have in truth been the sons of the
Buddha, but we delighted in nothing but lesser doctrines. If we had the kind of mind that
delighted in great ones, than the Buddha would have preached the Law of the Great Vehicle
for us.
"Now in this sutra the Buddha expounds only the one vehicle. And
in the past, when in the presence of the bodhisattvas he disparaged the voice-hearers as
those who delight in a lesser doctrine, the Buddha was in fact employing the Great Vehicle
to teach and convert us. Therefore we say that, though originally we had no mind to covet
or seek such a thing, now the great treasure of the Dharma King has come to us of its own
accord. It is something that the sons of the Buddha have a right to acquire, and now they
have acquired all of it."
At that time, Mahakashyapa, wishing to state his meaning once more,
spoke in verse form, saying:
We today have heard
the Buddha's voice teaching
and we dance for joy,
having gained what we never had before.
The Buddha declares that the voice-hearers
will be able to attain Buddhahood.
This cluster of unsurpassed jewels
has come to us unsought.
It is like the case of a boy who.
When still young without understanding,
abandoned his father and ran away,
going far off to another land,
drifting from one country to another
for over fifty years,
his father, distressed in thought,
searched for him in every direction
till, worn out with searching,
he halted in a certain city.
There he built a dwelling
where he could indulge the five desires.
His house was large and costly,
with quantities of gold, silver,
seashell, agate,
pearls, lapis lazuli,
elephants, horses, oxen goats,
palanquins, and carriages,
fields for farming, menservants, grooms,
and other people in great number.
He engaged in profitable ventures
at home and in all the lands around,
and had merchants and traveling vendors
stationed everywhere.
Thousands, ten thousands, millions
surrounded him and paid reverence;
he enjoyed the constant favor
and consideration of the ruler.
The officials and power clans
all joined in paying him honor,
and those who for one reason or another
flocked about him were many.
Such was his vast wealth,
the great power and influence he possessed.
But as he grew old an decrepit
he recalled his son with greater distress than ever,
day and night thinking of nothing else:
"Now the time of my death draws hear.
Over fifty years have passed
since that foolish boy abandoned me.
My storehouses full of goods-
what will become of them?"
At this time the impoverished son
was searching for food and clothing,
going from village to village,
from country to country,
sometimes finding something,
other times finding nothing,
starving and emaciated,
his body broken out in sores and ring worm.
As he moved from place to place
he arrived in time at the city where his father lived,
shifting from one job to another
until he came to his father's house.
At that time the rich man
had spread a large jeweled canopy
inside his gate
and was seated on a lion throne,
surrounded by his dependents
and various attendants and guards.
Some were counting out
gold, silver, and precious objects,
or recording in ledgers
the outlay and income of wealth.
The impoverished son, observing
how eminent and distinguished His father was,
supposed he must be the king of a country
or the equal of a king.
Alarmed and full of wonder,
he asked himself why he had come here.
Secretly he thought to himself,
if I linger here for long
I will perhaps be seized
and pressed into service!
Once this thought had occurred to him,
he raced from the spot,
and inquiring where there was a poor village,
went there in hopes of gaining employment.
The rich man at the time,
seated on his lion throne,
was his son in the distance
and silently recognized who he was.
Immediately he instructed a messenger
to hurry after him and bring him back.
The impoverished son, crying out in terror,
sank to the ground in distress.
"This man has seized me
and is surely going to put me to death!
To think that my search for food and clothing
should bring me to this!"
The rich man knew that his son
was ignorant and self-abasing.
"He will never believe my words,
will never believe I am his father."
So he employed an expedient means,
sending some other men to the son,
a one-eyed man, another puny and uncouth,
completely lacking in imposing appearance,
saying, "Speak to him
and tell him I will employ him
to remove excrement and filth,
and will pay him twice the regular wage."
When the impoverished son heard this
he was delighted and came with the messengers
and worked to clear away excrement and filth
and clean the rooms of the house.
From the window the rich man
would constantly observe his son,
thinking how his son was ignorant and self-abasing
and delighted in such menial labor.
At such times the rich man
would put on dirty ragged clothing,
take in hand a utensil for removing excrement
and go to where his son was,
using this expedient means to approach him,
encouraging him to work diligently.
"I have increased your wages
and given you oil to rub on your feet.
I will see that you have plenty to eat and drink,
mats and bedding that are thick and warm."
At times he would speak severely:
"You must work hard!"
Or again he will say in a gentle voice,
"You are like a son to me."
The rich man, being wise,
gradually permitted his son to come and go in the house.
After twenty years had passed,
he put him in charge of household affairs,
showing him his gold, silver,
pearls, crystal,
and the other things that were handed out or gathered in,
so that he would understand all about them,
though the son continued to live outside the gate,
sleeping in a hut of grass,
for he looked upon himself as poor,
thinking, "None of these things are mine."
The father knew that his son's outlook
was gradually becoming broader and more magnanimous,
and wishing to hand over his wealth and goods,
he called together his relatives,
the king of the country and the high ministers,
the noblemen and householders.
In the presence of this great assembly
he declared, "This is my son
who abandoned me and wandered abroad
for a period of fifty years.
Since I found him again,
twenty years have gone by.
Long ago, in such-and-such a city,
when I lost my son,
I traveled all around searching for him
until eventually I came here.
All that I possess,
my house and people,
I hand over entirely to him
so he may do with them as he wishes."
The son thought now in the past he had been poor,
humble and self-abasing in outlook,
but now he had received from his father
this huge bequest of rare treasures,
along with the father's house
and all his wealth and goods.
He was filled with great joy,
having gained what he never had before.
The Buddha too is like this.
He knows our fondness for the petty,
and so he never told us,
"You can attain Buddhahood."
Instead he explained to us
how we could become free of outflows,
carry out the Lesser Vehicle
and be voice-hearer disciples.
Then the Buddha commanded us
to preach the supreme way
and explain that those who practice this
will be able to attain Buddhahood.
We received the Buddha's teaching
and for the sake of the great bodhisattvas
made use of causes and conditions,
various similes and parables,
a variety of words and phrases,
to preach the unsurpassed way.
When the sons of the Buddha
heard the Law through us,
day and night they pondered,
diligently and with effort practicing it.
At that time the Buddha
bestowed prophecies on them, saying,
"In a future existence
you will be able to attain Buddhahood."
The various Buddhas
in their Law of the secret storehouse
set forth the true facts
for the sake of Bodhisattvas alone;
it is not for our sake
that they expound the true essentials.
The case is like that of the impoverished son
who was able to approach his father.
Though he knew of his father's possessions,
at heart he had no longing to appropriate them.
Thus, although we preached
the treasure storehouse of the Law of the Buddha,
we did not seek to attain it ourselves,
and in this way our case is similar.
We sought to wipe out what was within ourselves,
believing that was sufficient.
We understood only this one concern
and knew nothing of other matters.
Though we might hear
or purifying the Buddha lands,
of teaching and converting living beings,
we took no delight in such things.
Why is this?
Because all phenomena
are uniformly empty, tranquil,
without birth, without extinction,
without bigness, without smallness,
without outflows, without action.
And when one ponders in this way,
one can feel no delight or joy.
Through the long night,
with regard to the Buddha wisdom
we were without greed, without attachment,
without any desire to possess it.
We believed that with regard to the Law
we possessed the ultimate.
Through the long night
we practiced the Law of emptiness,
gaining release from the threefold world
and its burden of suffering and care.
We dwelt in our final existence,
in the nirvana of remainder.
Through the teaching and conversion of the Buddha
we gained a way that was not vain,
and in doing so we repaid
the debt we owed to the Buddha's kindness.
Although for the sake
of the Buddha's sons
we preached the Law of the Bodhisattva,
urging them to seek the Buddha way,
yet we ourselves
never aspired to that Law.
We were thus abandoned by our guide and teacher
because he had observed what was in our minds.
From the first he never encouraged us
or spoke to us of true benefit.
He was like the rich man
who knew that his son's ambitions were lowly
and who used the power of expedient means
to soften and mold his son's mind
so that later he could entrust to him
all his wealth and treasure.
The Buddha is like this,
resorting to a rare course of action.
Knowing that some have a fondness for the petty,
he uses the power of expedient means
to mold and temper their minds,
and only then teaches them the great wisdom.
Today we have gained
what we never had before;
what we previously never hoped for
has now come to us of itself.
We are like the impoverished son
who gained immeasurable treasure.
World-Honored One, now
we have gained the way, gained its fruit;
through the Law of no outflows
we have gained the undefiled eye.
Through the long night
we observed the pure precepts of the Buddha
and today for the first time
we have gained the fruit, the recompense.
In the Law of the Dharma King
we have long carried out brahma practices;
now we obtain the state of no outflows,
the great unsurpassed fruit.
Now we have become
voice-hearers in truth,
for we will take the voice of the Buddha way
and cause it to be heard by all.
Now we have become
true arhats,
for everywhere among
the heavenly and human beings, devils and Brahmas
of the various worlds
we deserve to receive offerings.
The World-Honored One in his great mercy
makes use of a rare thing,
in pity and compassion teaching and converting,
bringing benefit to us.
In numberless millions of kalpas
who could ever repay him?
Though we offer him our hands and feet,
bow our heads in respectful obeisance,
and present all manners of offerings,
none of us could we pay him.
Though we lift him on the crown of our heads,
bear him on our two shoulders
for kalpas numerous as Ganges sands
reverence him with all our hearts;
though we come with delicate foods,
with countless jeweled robes,
with articles of bedding,
various kinds of potions and medicines;
with ox-head sandalwood
and all kinds of rare gems,
construct memorial towers
and spread the ground with jeweled robes;
though we were to do all this
by way of offering
for kalpas numerous as Ganges sands,
still we could not repay him.
The Buddhas possess rarely known,
immeasurable, boundless,
unimaginable great
transcendental powers.
Free of outflows, free of action,
these kings of the doctrines
for the sake of the humble and lowly
exercise patience in these matters;
to common mortals attached to appearances
they preach in accordance with what is appropriate.
With regard to the Law, the Buddhas
are able to exercise complete freedom.
They understand the various desires and joys
of living beings,
as well as their aims and abilities,
and can adjust to what they are capable of,
employing innumerable similes
to expound the Law for them.
Utilizing the good roots
laid down by living beings in previous existences,
distinguishing between those whose roots are mature
and those whose roots are not yet mature,
they exercise various calculation,
discriminations and perceptions,
and then take the one vehicle way and
in accordance with what is appropriate, preach it as three.
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