The Destitute Son Returns

Commentary on the Words of the Sūtra of the Lotus Blossom of the Wondrous Dharma, Fascicle Six, Upper Part

Expounded by the Great Master Zhiyi of Tiantai

From here, second, the verses: there are one hundred sixty-five lines, falling into two parts — the first hundred lines versify the prose section above, and the remaining sixty-five lines set out the method for propagating the sūtra. The prose section above had the opening of the parable and the matching correlation, and the verses likewise fall into two: the first sixty-five-and-a-half lines versify the opening of the parable, and the next thirty-four-and-a-half lines versify the matching correlation. The first of these again falls into two: the first thirty-three lines of verse versify the general parable, and the next thirty-two-and-a-half lines of verse versify the specific parable. The general parable was set out under six points of sense, but of these six points only four are directly versified here, with the remaining two picked up along the way — the verses on the house and dwelling also pick up the one gate, and the verses on the five hundred people also pick up the thirty children. The first line makes plain the elder, versifying his rank and title above, and along with this picking up his name, conduct, and the praise of his virtue as well. Since he possesses the virtue of a person of standing, one thereby knows that his name and conduct are honored throughout the kingdom, city, and village, and also that, within and without, both his years and his virtue stand equally high; inwardly this matches Bhagavān as his rank and title, knowing of himself that he is fully possessed of the myriad virtues of wisdom, severance, loving-kindness, and compassion. From "there was a great house" onward is, second, three-and-a-half lines versifying the second point above, the parable of the house and dwelling; this falls into two: the first half-line versifies the house's vastness.

From "this house, being old" onward is, second, three lines setting out at length the substance of the house, making clear the marks of what is to be burned — one thereby knows that this versifies the substance of the house. The three realms, beginningless, are "old"; not built in the present is "worn"; and being impermanent and base is called "crumbling and decayed." It is also said that the head is the upper hall, the belly the central hall, and the back the outer chamber, and that being impermanent, ceasing moment after moment, is "towering and precarious." One account holds that the form realm is the "hall" and the desire realm the "chamber," and that being unable to escape falling is called "towering and precarious"; the life-faculty, sustaining the body, is like the "pillar," and past karmic action is the "foundation and steps." It is also said that the two feet are the "pillar's root," and being carried along by the three marks [of arising, abiding, and perishing] is "crumbling and rotten." Consciousness, binding all together, is the "beam and ridgepole," and being ruined by every suffering is "leaning and tilted." It is also said that the spine is the "beam and ridgepole," the flank is the "foundation and steps," and the time of aging and decline is "collapsing and ruined." As for the "walls": one account holds that the four great elements are the "walls," the skin is the "mud plaster," the four dignified postures gone awry are the "scattered and falling," and the five sense-consciousnesses, grown dull and no longer able to master their objects, are the "cracked and come away." It is also said that "walls crumbling and split" are like skin chapped and worn, that youthful color, fresh and clear, is like mud freshly plastered, that the withered, haggard color of old age is like this plaster later peeling away, that hair and beard, decayed with age, all falling out, are like "roof-thatch scattering and falling," and that sinews and bones, grown feeble, joints no longer supporting one another, are like "rafters and eaves rotting loose." As for the "encircling, tortuous windings": Master Yin says, "The thirty-six impure things, mutually screening one another, are called the 'encircling'; the pig's intestines, coiling round and about, are called the 'tortuous windings' — the body is not only carried along by impermanence, it also holds every impurity and suffering, and hence it is said to be 'filled throughout with filth.'" Here it is said instead that the "encircling" is the six consciousnesses and the "tortuous windings" are the six sense-faculties: the six consciousnesses, relying on the six sense-faculties, take hold of their objects, and, this being arduous and obstructed, it is called "tortuous windings"; the six sense-objects pervasively defile the six sense-faculties, and hence it is said to be "filled throughout with filth." Both the causal-condition reading and the contemplation-of-mind reading are given here (and so on, as before).

From "there were five hundred people" onward is, third, half a line versifying the third point above, the parable of the five hundred people: the natures of the three vehicles, subsumed within the five destinies, also pick up along the way the parable of the thirty children. From "kites and owls" onward is, fourth, twenty-nine lines of verse directly versifying the fifth point above, the fire's outbreak. This in turn falls into four: the first twenty-two verses make clear what happens on the ground, a parable for the outbreak of fire in the desire realm; next, second, three-and-a-half verses make clear what happens within the caves, a parable for the outbreak of fire in the form realm; next, third, two-and-a-half verses make clear what happens in the open air, a parable for the outbreak of fire in the formless realm; and, fourth, one verse draws the general conclusion that these many hardships are not just one.

Within the outbreak of fire in the desire realm, this again falls into four: the first seventeen-and-a-half verses make clear the kinds of beings to be burned, a parable for the ten hindrances of sentient beings; next, second, one-and-a-half verses make clear the cause of the fire's outbreak, a parable for what gives rise to the five turbidities; next, third, one-and-a-half lines directly make clear the force of the fire's outbreak, a parable for the five turbidities actually arising; and, fourth, one-and-a-half lines make clear the marks of those being burned, a parable for undergoing the eight sufferings of the five turbidities. Within the first, the seventeen-and-a-half lines, this again falls into two: the first sixteen lines directly make clear what is to be burned, and the remaining one-and-a-half lines draw the general conclusion. Within what is to be burned there are again two: the first six lines make clear birds and beasts being burned, a parable for sentient beings under the five dull hindrances; and the remaining ten lines make clear spirits and demons being burned, a parable for sentient beings under the five sharp hindrances. The first, the five dull hindrances, falls into two: the first five-and-a-half lines make clear the five dull hindrances themselves, and the second, half a line, draws the conclusion.

Here, first, the five dull hindrances fall into five: the first half-line is a parable for the hindrance of pride. Sentient beings, exalting themselves and belittling others, are like birds, whose very nature is to soar aloft and look down upon what lies below. Eight birds are a parable for eight kinds of conceit; the Sūtra of Mañjuśrī's Questions sets out eight kinds of arrogance, here matched to the eight birds. Arrogance over one's vigor and strength is like the kite; arrogance over one's very nature is like the owl; arrogance over wealth is like the vulture; arrogance over one's freedom is like the osprey; arrogance over one's lifespan is like the crow; arrogance over one's cleverness is like the magpie; arrogance over one's good conduct is like the dove; and arrogance over one's beauty is like the pigeon. Belittling others is conceit, and exalting oneself is likewise conceit; cherishing oneself is greed, and cherishing another is lust; resenting oneself is indignation, and resenting another is anger; being deluded about oneself is folly, and being deluded about another is delusion (and so on, as before).

Next, from "vipers and snakes" onward is, second, two lines, a parable for the hindrance of anger. Anger is of three kinds: the viper, its venom potent, draws in its prey without even touching it — a parable for anger that arises without reason; adders and scorpions sting the moment they are touched — a parable for anger that clings to reason; and the centipede is a parable for anger born of idle argument. People commonly say that the one with the red neck is the centipede, and the one without is the house-scolopendra.

From "house lizards" onward is, third, two lines, a parable for the hindrance of delusion. Delusion arises either on its own or in conjunction with other afflictions: the house lizard, the millipede, and the like, sitting motionless, are a parable for delusion that is solitary and unaccompanied; while the weasel, the raccoon-dog, the shrew, and the like are a parable for delusion that arises in conjunction with other afflictions.

From "every kind of evil vermin" onward, this shows every fetter fully arising from the root of delusion. It makes clear how the various hindrances condition one another — whether taking the three realms as their object, crisscrossing like these creatures, or arising with the swiftness of their scurrying about. The line following "dung and urine" makes clear the objects to which the deluded mind clings: these are, every one of them, impermanent, suffering, without self, and impure, but, because of delusion, this is not understood, and, amid them, purity and the rest are imagined, giving rise to defiled attachment — hence it says, "and dung beetles and every kind of vermin gather upon it."

From "foxes and wolves" onward is, fourth, two lines, making clear the hindrance of greed. Greed is of two kinds: one, forceful; and, two, without force. The forceful kind seizes by dint of power and menace, like the fox and wolf and the rest; the kind without force can only beg and scrounge coarse leavings from others, like the jackal and the rest. From "gnawing and chewing" onward makes clear greed's taking hold of its objects: drawing things toward oneself is "gnawing and chewing," and taking them without regard for what is proper is "trampling underfoot." When the greedy mind takes hold of its objects, whether seizing a single city or a single kingdom, its having some fixed boundary is "biting and gnashing." It is also said that when the greedy mind takes hold of its objects, there is what it makes use of and what it does not: what it makes use of and takes is "gnawing and chewing," and what it does not make use of yet still takes is "trampling underfoot" — or again, taking a little is "gnawing and chewing," and taking a great deal is "trampling underfoot." "Flesh and bone strewn in disorder" means hoarding up the five sense-objects without knowing when to stop.

As for "and because of this, packs of dogs come competing to snatch and seize": this is the forceful kind of greed snatching and seizing from the kind without force — meaning kings and brigands.

As for "starved, gaunt, and frantic": forever unsatisfied is like starvation; seeking and unable to obtain is like gauntness; casting about in every direction is like frantic distress — for one of great desire, though rich, remains poor. Greed of the affections craves the flesh of the five sense-objects; greed of views craves the bones of doctrine — probing and seeking out views and understanding, one comes to hold many opinions, and this is precisely "many bones," and dogs in need of bones come competing to seize them. Within every kind of view, not yet having obtained the food of the true Dharma is called hunger; being unable to subdue and cut off views is called gauntness; and seeking understanding everywhere, in every direction, is called frantic distress. One account holds that this is simply the greedy person's hoping and longing after something. "Quarreling, contending, grabbing, and clawing" is, fifth, two lines, a parable for the hindrance of doubt.

Wavering between two extremes is called doubt; not yet settled on right and wrong is quarreling and contending; the mind's supposing something to be right is "clawing," and its then supposing it to be wrong is "grabbing."

As for "snarling, snapping, howling, and barking": this is giving voice to argument, settling the principle of right and wrong. The two lines on "terror" are, second, the conclusion drawing together the five dull hindrances above.

From "everywhere there are" onward is, second, ten lines making clear the five sharp hindrances. This falls into two: the first half-line generally makes clear the sharp hindrances — the sharp hindrances range pervasively over the five aggregates and the four truths, and hence it says below, "everywhere there are." Now, spirits and demons possess supernatural powers and intelligence, while birds and beasts have none — hence the sharp hindrances are likened to spirits and demons, and the dull hindrances to insects and beasts. From "yakṣas" onward is, second, nine-and-a-half lines making clear the five sharp hindrances individually. This falls into five: the first three lines make clear the yakṣa, a swift-moving demon, a parable for wrong view, which denies cause and effect. A human being is the fruit of good retribution — a parable for the causes and effects transcending the world, unmixed with any affliction; denying this principle is like devouring human flesh. Poisonous insects and the like are the fruit of evil retribution — like the causes and effects of the world, mixed with every affliction; denying this principle is like feeding on poisonous insects and the like. As for "hatching, suckling, and giving birth": this is the way of the world, whereby the fruit proper to a given kind is born from the cause proper to that same kind.

As for "each hoards and guards its own": a cause being able to produce a fruit is called "hoarding," and being sure to obtain it without loss is called "guarding." Again, human flesh is good and poisonous insects are evil, and the mind of wrong view denies both the good and the evil causes and their effects — the matter is like feeding upon them. "Hatching, suckling, and giving birth" states in general that both good and evil possess this function of cause and effect giving rise to one another. As for "having eaten their fill": this is the view-mind reaching completion. As for "their evil minds blazing ever fiercer": this is the view-mind growing ever more extensive. As for "the sound of their quarreling and contending": this is the inward mind reaching completion and, outwardly, manifesting as spoken teaching, proclaiming a doctrine without cause and without effect, able to make whoever hears it fall into the three evil destinies — hence it is called "terrifying."

From "kumbhāṇḍas" onward is, second, two-and-a-half lines, a parable for attachment to precepts. The kumbhāṇḍa is the more powerful kind of demon, just as tainted good is able to surpass every kind of insect. As for "crouching upon the earthen mound": cultivating the ten wholesome precepts is able to bring about birth among the six heavens, and, the six heavens being the higher regions of the desire realm, the matter is like an earthen mound. Again, non-Buddhist ascetics who uphold precepts are able to cultivate meditative absorption, first attaining the concentration of the desire realm, or perhaps attaining the "not-yet-attained" concentration — this "not-yet-attained" concentration has not yet freed them from the desire realm, and the summit of the desire realm is like an earthen mound. As for "leaving it a foot, or two feet": attaining the concentration of the form realm is like a foot, and attaining the concentration of the formless realms is like two feet; rising into the higher realm is "going," and falling back is "returning," and the arising of the hindrance of views is like "unrestrained frolic and play." As for "seizing the dog by both its legs": one account holds that slandering the truth that there is no cause of suffering is like seizing the dog's legs, denying the truth that there is a fruit of suffering is like putting a foot to its neck, and the fact that origination, taken as a cause, has a fruit is like the dog's cry — the sharp views deny that there is any principle of origination or of the attainment of the cessation of suffering, and this makes the dog lose its voice. According to the contemplative reading: cultivating the sixfold practice of contemplation to subdue greed, greed's ceasing to act is likened to its being cut off, and this is "losing its voice"; the dog is desirous greed, the two legs are discursive and reflective thought, discursive and reflective thought going back and forth, forever dwelling in the object of greed, and counting the breath to still the mind has the sense of being able to bind — this is "seizing" discursive and reflective thought. "Striking down" means that, when the greedy, discursive mind presses strongly toward an impure object, one cultivates the contemplation of impurity to subdue this greedy, discursive mind, and the greedy, discursive mind, being overcome and subdued, is like the dog, struck down, thereby unable to cry out. It is also said that cultivating the contemplation of impurity is like striking down the dog, and that being thereby able to give rise to meditative absorption is like the dog, struck down, losing its voice. As for "a foot placed at its neck": just as the dog, though struck down, still struggles and does not submit, so that a foot must further be placed upon it, so too greed, though it knows to cease at the impure, is still not entirely stilled, and one must further apply the contemplation of impermanence, placing this foot at the neck that clings to permanence, whereupon terror arises and greedy, discursive thought no longer arises. It is also said that subduing the mind at the outset is like striking it to the ground, and that keeping it forever bound to its object is like placing a foot at its neck so that it cannot rise. As for "the terrified dog, delighting in itself": by cultivating the contemplation of impermanence, awakening the greedy mind, this is like the terrified dog — and, thereby attaining the flavor of meditative absorption, this is called "delighting in itself."

From "its body long and huge" onward is, third, one-and-a-half lines of verse, a parable for the view of self. Reaching lengthwise into the three times and imagining a self there is called "long"; extending crosswise throughout the five aggregates and imagining a self there is called "huge." Imagining a self as free and autonomous, one does not cultivate wholesome dharmas, and this very absence of conscience and shame is called "naked"; adorning oneself with evil is called "black"; and lacking any provision of merit is called "emaciated." Those who imagine a self do not go beyond the three realms — hence it says, "forever dwelling within it." Imagining a self within the mind, one gives voice to it, proclaiming the mark of there being a self — hence it says, "uttering great and evil cries." Hoping by means of this proclamation to obtain the fruit of the path, it says, "shrieking and calling out for food."

From "there were, further, other demons" onward is, fourth, half a line, a parable for view-attachment. Its throat being narrow, its life imperiled, and yet it clings to its own life — the peak of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, itself impermanent, is nevertheless imagined to be nirvāṇa, and hence it says, "its throat like a needle."

From "its head like an ox's head" onward is, fifth, two lines, a parable for extreme views. Reasoning from the self to permanence or annihilation, these two extremes of permanence and annihilation are like the ox-head's two horns; taking the body as the self, or taking the self as the body — relying on the view of self, extreme views arise, just as the two horns arise from the one head. The fault of imagining permanence or annihilation is able to cut off wholesome dharmas transcending the world — like devouring human flesh; and it is able to cut off wholesome roots within the world — like "at times devouring dogs." At times imagining permanence, and at other times imagining annihilation, turning back and forth between the two, is like "its hair disheveled and disordered." Imagining permanence overturns annihilation, and imagining annihilation overturns permanence — like "savage, cruel, and violent." Having no meditative concentration of wisdom to nourish itself is like "driven by hunger and thirst."

From "yakṣas and hungry ghosts" onward is, second, one-and-a-half lines, drawing together the marks of the afflictions of the desire realm in general — this is likewise a conclusion to the marks of sentient beings under the sharp and dull hindrances together, all of them being minds with outflows, forever without the flavor of the path — hence it says, "hunger-driven and urgent." As for "peering in at the window": this makes clear their wrongly contemplating the principle of emptiness, longing after the flavor of the path — although they do go on contemplating, they remain fixed and attached, and their minds mostly fail to comprehend the true principle, like peering in at a window and glimpsing the emptiness beyond without attaining the unobstructed.

From "this decrepit, old house belongs to a single person" onward is, second, one verse, making clear the cause of the fire's outbreak. The three realms are precisely the place where the Buddha's transformative response occurs, and, from the time he first set his mind on awakening, he has vowed to deliver and liberate all beings — hence it says, "belongs to a single person." While the elder remained within the house he was able to see that fire was guarded against, but, once he had gone out, his sons, in their ignorance, allowed the fire to break out — inwardly, this matches how, at the time of the Buddha of Great Universal Wisdom-Excellence, the Tathāgata constantly taught these beings, causing them to subdue the five turbidities, but, once their karmic affinity was exhausted, the Tathāgata set aside this response and, these beings afterward giving rise to the five turbidities once more, he responded to conditions in other lands rather than departing forever — hence it says, "recently gone out." It is also said that, from the attainment of non-arising onward, no longer being born within the three realms is called "gone out," while returning again before long is called "recently." The Chapter on the Life-Span says, "repeatedly manifesting nirvāṇa" — this is precisely the sense of going out from the house. From "afterward, within the dwelling" onward is, third, two lines, directly making clear the force of the fire's outbreak. "On every side" is precisely the place — the body, sensation, mind, and dharmas, and the rest, giving rise to the four inversions, the five turbidities, and the eight sufferings — hence it says, "at one and the same time"; continuing on and gradually increasing is "blazing"; the life-faculty being cut off is "bursting"; and the body dissolving as though cut by the knife-edged wind is "splitting."

It is also said that the sound of groaning and moaning under the pain of suffering is called "bursting"; the destruction of every faculty is "splitting"; the breath cut off, the bones parted, and the sinews severed is "shattering, breaking, and falling"; and the four great elements dissolving apart is "the walls collapsing and toppling." From "every kind of spirit and demon" onward is, fourth, one-and-a-half lines, making clear the marks of those being burned. One account holds that family members are the "spirits and demons," and their wailing is "raising their voices" — here, following the pattern above, the sharp hindrances are taken as a parable for spirits and demons. Those under the sharp hindrances reckon either annihilation or permanence: those who reckon permanence hold that dharmas are fixedly empty, so that, having existed, they return to non-existence, and this non-existence is itself permanence; those who reckon annihilation hold that dharmas are fixedly cut off, so that, once this one death has occurred, there is no further continuation — all of them proclaim this as settled, declaring the matter to be already manifest, and hence it says, "raising their voices in great cries." As for those under the dull hindrances, and those under attachment to precepts: they do not, to begin with, reckon annihilation, and, now seeing impermanence, they simply give rise to doubt and terror, not knowing any way of escape — hence it says, "frantic and unable to find their own way out."

From "wild beasts and poisonous vermin" onward is, second, three-and-a-half lines, making clear what happens within the caves, a parable for the outbreak of fire in the form realm — the various schools' explanation, that anger extends through all three realms, is confirmed by this very text. The text falls into four: the first line makes clear the kind of beings to be burned. The concentrations of the four dhyānas are a parable for the caves: although not as open and spacious as what lies outside the gate, one nevertheless escapes the fierce flames there, just as, entering into meditative absorption, one nevertheless escapes the coarse evils of the desire realm. Sentient beings under the sharp hindrances also attain meditative absorption, just as the piśāca demon likewise dwells within these caves. The single line "because their merit is meager" is, second, the cause of the fire's outbreak — because their merit is slight, they draw near to evil and encounter suffering. The single line "pressed upon by the fire" is, third, making clear the force of the fire's outbreak: within the caves, although there are no fierce flames, there is still a burning distress, for the four dhyānas, though free of the evils of the desire realm, still harbor the subtle suffering of craving after their own flavor — hence it says, "pressed upon by the fire."

From "mutually preying upon and harming one another" onward is, fourth, two lines, making clear the marks of those being burned, making clear how the sharp and the dull hindrances contend against one another: the various beings under these hindrances are alike in having attained meditative absorption, but what they severally reckon differs, and, differing, they contend with and oppose one another, as though preying upon and harming one another. Once views have arisen within meditative absorption, one can no longer give rise to the concentration and wisdom free of outflows, but instead clings to silent stillness, as though "drinking blood," or clings to the five factors of dhyāna, as though "devouring flesh." The "jackal" is the greed of the desire realm — the "not-yet-attained" concentration having already cut this off, it is said to have "already died before" — this is also called "devouring," for the greed belonging to meditative absorption is like a great, fierce beast able to swallow up the greed of the desire realm. The four inversions and eight sufferings of the desire realm are like the "fierce flames," and this same suffering of the four inversions in the form realm is like the "foul smoke" — this too pervades the body, sensation, mind, and dharmas, the four great elements, the flesh, and the rest, and hence it says, "filling every side."

From "centipedes" onward is, third, two-and-a-half lines of verse, making clear what happens in the open air, a parable for the outbreak of fire in the formless realm. This falls into two: the first line makes clear the kinds of beings to be burned, and the remaining one-and-a-half lines make clear the marks of what is to be burned. Wearied of the concentration of the form realm, one emerges from it toward the formless; wearied of the coarse objects of form, one contemplates the formless dharmas — like a poisonous snake, sensing the fire, fleeing out of its den — and, if this is so, then anger indeed extends through all three realms. Once one attains the concentration of the formless realm, one is bound to extinguish objects of the lower realms, and hence it says, "seizing and devouring whatever they take hold of." Even at the very summit, the peak of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, one still cannot escape the various sufferings of inversion — like "fire blazing above their heads." The peak of neither-perception-nor-non-perception also has the fire of the eight sufferings: the mind's giving rise to a differing thought is the suffering of birth; thought after thought not abiding is the suffering of old age; the mind's activity, disturbed and agitated, obstructing concentration, is the suffering of sickness; falling back from concentration is the suffering of death; seeking concentration and not obtaining it is the suffering of not obtaining what one seeks; seeking concentration and not obtaining it must involve some obstruction, and this is precisely the suffering of encountering what one resents; and the mind of the four aggregates is itself the suffering of the five aggregates in their blazing fullness. Being unable to cut off at once the seed belonging to the peak of existence, the fire blazes above the head; and, lacking anything free of outflows, one is troubled by hunger and thirst, still caught in the cycle of rebirth, wandering about in frantic distress. From "this house, being such as it is" onward is, fourth, one line, drawing the general conclusion that the many hardships of the three realms are not just one — and with this, the versifying of the general parable is complete.

From "at that time the master of the house was standing outside the gate" onward are thirty-two-and-a-half lines of verse, versifying, second, the specific parable. The specific parable has four parts, but the verses here cover only three. The first, two-and-a-half lines, versify the elder seeing the fire; the next, second, thirteen lines, versify the parable of setting aside the bench and using the cart, holding back the great teaching and bestowing the lesser; and the next, third, seventeen lines, versify the parable of bestowing the great cart. The first, two-and-a-half lines versifying the seeing of the fire, has three parts: first, the one who sees; second, what is seen; and third, the arising of terror — all of these are fully versified here. The first three lines, following "the master of the house," are precisely the one who sees; above it made clear "seeing," while here it speaks of "hearing," hearing standing in the place of seeing, for hearing must come from another. As for "standing outside the gate": this directly versifies the earlier "though I am able to come safely out through this burning gate."

As for "standing": abiding in the ground of the dharma-body, forever cherishing great compassion, wishing to save sentient beings, he does not remain seated in the seat of ultimate emptiness. According to the old account, the buddhas of the ten directions spoke to Śākyamuni, saying, "You have sons bound to you by karmic affinity, now within the three realms, their wholesome roots about to be extinguished." It is also said that sentient beings' capacity to move the Buddha is itself "another person." Here it is said instead that the Dharma is the Buddha's own teacher — meaning the dharma of samādhi — and this dharma, serving as teacher, is precisely "another person": if one enters samādhi, one is thereby able to perceive the occasion, samādhi itself causing the Buddha to perceive it, and hence it says, "someone spoke, saying." It is also said that great compassion itself is "another person" (and so on, as before). From "your sons" onward is, second, one-and-a-half lines, versifying the fire that is seen.

Question:
If the sons had never yet come out, how could they, on account of their play, have come to enter in?

Answer:
It may be that they had once set their mind on awakening, and this is called coming out of the three realms, but then fell back and returned, which is called entering in — like a person who lifts his foot, meaning to go out through the gate, but then turns aside and goes back; this may equally be called "coming out" and "going back in." Again, the nature of principle is originally pure and is not itself a dharma of the three realms, but, because of ignorance, idle discourse arises, and birth-and-death then follows — hence it says, "at first, on account of their play, they came to enter in."

Great goodness not yet taken hold is "young and small"; being covered over by ignorance is "without knowledge." From "having heard this, he rushed in, alarmed" onward is, third, two lines, versifying the earlier "at once felt great terror and gave rise to a mind of great compassion."

From "he cast about for a fitting means to rescue them" onward is, second, thirteen lines, versifying the setting aside of the bench and the use of the cart. This falls into two: the first five-and-a-half lines versify the earlier failure to save the sons. The opening of the parable above had both persuasion and admonition, but the matching correlation above matched only the persuasion — here, however, only the admonition is versified. The text of admonition had three parts, and, here too, three are made clear: the first, four-and-a-half verses, versify the earlier "I shall speak of the terrors, seeking a fitting means"; next, from "the sons, in their ignorance" onward, second, three lines, versify their not accepting the admonition; and "still absorbed in their play, without ceasing," third, one line, directly versifies the ceasing of the transforming activity. "A fitting means" is seeking what is fitting for the great teaching. "Proclaiming and admonishing" is precisely the sense of speaking of the many hardships and admonishing and instructing them. The single line pointing to their not ceasing versifies the earlier "he could only look upon his father, and that was all," the sense of setting aside these words of distress.

From "at that time the elder had this thought" onward is, second, seven-and-a-half lines of verse, versifying the earlier use of the cart. The text above had four parts: first, seeking what is fitting in the three carts; second, knowing what his sons had formerly delighted in; third, praising the rarity of the three carts; and fourth, suiting his sons' wishes. Here, in the verses, only three of these senses appear, the knowledge of what his sons had formerly delighted in being omitted. The first three lines versify seeking what is fitting; from "he told his sons" onward, second, three verses persuade and praise the rarity of the three carts. The text above made clear the three senses of persuasion, demonstration, and confirmation, and the verses here likewise have these three senses, but versify the persuasion a second time, making four in all: the first line versifies the persuasion; next, from "the goat-cart" onward, second, three lines versify the demonstration; next, "come out, all of you," third, one line, again versifies the persuasion; and next, from "I, for your sake" onward, fourth, one verse versifies the confirmation. From "having heard tell of these carts" onward is, third, one-and-a-half lines of verse, versifying the sons' wishes being suited. Here the earlier six lines are versified all together — "raced and ran" versifies the earlier attainment of the vision of the truths, and "the open ground" versifies the earlier attainment beyond further learning.

From "the elder, seeing his sons come safely out of the burning house" onward is, third, seventeen lines of verse, versifying, third, the parable of equally bestowing the great cart. The text above had four parts: escape from danger; asking for carts; equal bestowal of the great cart; and joy at the cart. Here the verses likewise have four: the first five lines versify the escape from danger and the joy at it; second, three lines versify the asking for carts; third, seven-and-a-half lines versify the equal bestowal; and fourth, one-and-a-half lines versify the joy at the cart. Within the first five lines versifying the sons' escape from danger there are again two: the first line versifies the escape from danger, and next, from "and of himself" onward, second, four lines versify the joy at it. As for "seated upon the lion's throne": there are two explanations. One holds that it is the sons who are seated upon it, freedom from fear coming from their having come out of the three realms; the other holds that it is the elder who is seated upon it, the elder's freedom from fear coming the moment he sees his sons escape danger — at first, standing outside the gate, he still bore anxiety and fear, and hence it says he was "standing," but now, having gained his sons' escape through the gate, he is at last seated, free of fear, and hence "Skillful Means" says, "now I am joyful and free of fear."

The text on escape from danger is now complete. From "and of himself, rejoicing" onward is, second, four lines, versifying the elder's own joy, as the text has it. From "knowing that their father was seated at ease" onward is, second, three lines of verse, versifying, second, the asking for carts, as the text has it. From "the elder, being of great wealth" onward is, third, seven-and-a-half lines, versifying, third, the equal bestowal of the great cart above. The text above had two chapter-headings, two extensive expositions, and two explanations, five sections in all, but here only four are versified — the extensive exposition of the mind of equality, and the explanation of the mind of equality, are not versified. The first line versifies, out of turn, the fourth, the explanation of the great cart: a house full to overflowing is called a "storehouse," and a ground full to overflowing is called a "treasury" — practice fully possessed of every dharma is called a "treasury," and the eye, ear, and the rest of the six sense-faculties fully possessed of every dharma is called a "storehouse" (and so on, as before). From "and then, with every kind of precious thing" onward is, second, six lines of verse, versifying, third, the extensive description of the great cart. The next two lines versify the two chapter-headings; the one line "with this wondrous cart" is, third, versifying the second, the chapter-heading announcing the cart; and the one line "equally bestowed on all his sons" is, fourth, versifying the first, the chapter-heading on the mind of equality. From "his sons, at that time, joyful and exultant" onward is, fourth, one-and-a-half lines, versifying the joy at the cart. As for "roaming in all four directions": riding the wisdom of the middle way, they roam crosswise through the four kinds of four gates and the four kinds of four truths, and lengthwise through the forty-one stages, to the ultimate virtues of permanence, bliss, self, and purity — hence it says they "played there freely, at their ease."

From "Śāriputra, I too am likewise so" onward is, second, thirty-four-and-a-half lines, and this is precisely the versifying of the matching correlation. The first four lines versify the matching of the general parable, but this makes only four points while also picking up all six parables along the way. The one line "I too am likewise so" versifies the matching of the elder — its first half versifying the matching of his rank and title, and its second half versifying the matching of his name and conduct, together with the praise of his virtue: foremost among the sages and worthies of the seven kinds of skillful means, and father of the world in nine senses. The one verse "all sentient beings are my own children" versifies the matching of the five destinies, its sense also picking up the thirty children — the thirty children being the children through the conditioning cause, and all sentient beings being the children through the correct cause. The half-verse "the three realms afford no safety" versifies the matching of the household, also picking up along the way the sense of the one gate. The one-and-a-half verses "filled everywhere with every suffering" versify the matching of the fire's outbreak. With this the versifying of the matching of the general parable is complete.

From "the Tathāgata, having already left the burning house of the three realms" onward, thirty-and-a-half lines, is, second, versifying the matching of the specific parable. The verses on the opening of the parable had no freedom-from-falsehood section, but the verses on the matching correlation here do have one. The first three verses versify seeing sentient beings undergoing birth, old age, and the rest, matching the parable of seeing the fire. The verses on the parable of seeing the fire above had three parts, and the matching here likewise has three: the first verse versifies the earlier ability of the Tathāgata to see — precisely because he dwells in quiescent stillness that he is able to see his sons under the five turbidities — and this matches "someone spoke, saying"; next, from "now, these three realms" onward, second, one-and-a-half lines versify the earlier sentient beings that are seen, being consumed by the fires of birth, old age, sickness, and death, matching the second point, the fire that is seen; and from "I alone" onward, third, half a verse versifies the earlier "the Buddha, seeing this, then had this thought," matching the terror at entering the burning house.

From "though he taught and instructed" onward is, second, four lines, versifying the parable of setting aside the bench and using the cart. This falls into two: the first line versifies the setting-aside of the bench and the rest. The opening of the parable above had three parts — seeking what is fitting, the absence of capacity, and the ceasing of the transforming activity — and this one verse here likewise has these three senses, only stated altogether and in brief. The line "though he taught and instructed" versifies seeking what is fitting; the line "yet they did not believe and accept it" versifies the absence of capacity; and the two lines below versify the ceasing of the transforming activity — or it may be that these next two versify the absence of capacity instead. "Because their attachment through craving ran deep" versifies the earlier "not yet freed from birth, old age, sickness, and death, from sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress," and the rest. From "by this skillful means" onward is, second, three verses, versifying the matching correlation of using the cart to save the sons and bring them across; the text above had four parts, but here only three are versified, and the matching correlation likewise has three, the knowledge of what his sons had formerly delighted in being omitted. The first line, "by this skillful means," versifies the earlier "sought fitness by wisdom and skillful means alone"; from "taught the three vehicles" onward, second, one-and-a-half lines versify the matching of the third point above, the praise of the rarity of the three carts; and from "these sons" onward, third, one-and-a-half lines versify the matching of the fourth, suiting their wishes. The matching correlation above had four lines for each of the three vehicles, but here they are versified all together. As for "if the mind is resolute": from the patient acceptance of the truth of suffering upward is true resolve, and this one line versifies together the stage at which the three vehicles race and run; while the following line, from "fully possessed of," versifies, for each of the three vehicles individually, the stage of their competing to come out.

From "you, Śāriputra, for my sake" onward is, third, eight lines, versifying the matching of the third point above, the parable of equally bestowing the great cart. The prose section did not match the asking for carts or the joy, though the verses on the opening of the parable had included them fully. The verses here versify the matching of the equal bestowal and the joy, but do not match the escape from danger or the asking for carts — there being, in what is taken up and what is set aside, and in how the matter is finally brought to completion, two distinct approaches. The text again falls into two: the first five lines versify the matching of the equal bestowal, and the remaining three lines versify the joy. The matching of the equal bestowal above had four parts, but two of these are not versified here, the matching here again being abbreviated, only matching the two chapter-headings and the third, the extensive description of the great cart — and, further, versifying the explanation of the reason for having the cart. The first line, following "you, Śāriputra," first versifies the chapter-heading on the cart, corresponding to the earlier text on the buddhas' meditative concentration and the rest. Next, from "if you are able" onward, second, one line versifies the matching of the chapter-heading on the mind of equality, corresponding to the earlier "these sentient beings, freed from the three realms." Next, from "this vehicle is subtle and wondrous" onward, third, two lines versify the matching of the direct, extensive description of the great cart, corresponding to the earlier "all of one single mark, one single kind," and the rest; and next, from "immeasurable myriads of powers and forms of liberation" onward, fourth, one line versifies the earlier explanation of the reason for having the cart.

From "having attained such a vehicle" onward is, second, three verses, versifying the joy at attaining the cart. This again falls into two: the first two verses make clear each one attaining the great cart, and, next, from "by this causal condition" onward, second, one verse draws the conclusion, exhorting to faith. As for the first two verses: "day and night" means that at first attaining the Buddha's knowledge and vision, the light of the wisdom of the middle way is like the portion belonging to day, while ignorance still present is like night; and that, having attained for oneself the wisdom of the middle way, this is like day, while entering birth-and-death through loving-kindness and compassion is like night. Constantly practicing both these dharmas is called "playing there." Practitioners of the three vehicles alike enter the Buddha's wisdom, and hence it says, "together with the bodhisattvas and the assembly of śrāvakas." This, further, makes clear both practice for oneself and the transformation of others: obtaining this vehicle for oneself is "playing there day and night," and using it to transform others is "together with the bodhisattvas and the assembly of śrāvakas" — being able to transform the three vehicles is "riding together upon the precious vehicle." In the next verse, the one vehicle that is taught has no threefold cause and condition; sought out and verified as true throughout the lands of the ten directions, it is one alone, without a second — except by the Buddha's own skillful means, it does not lie within the reach of words. Another account holds: if the bodhisattva does not ask for a cart, on what occasion could there be joy at riding in a cart?

From "Śāriputra, tell all these people" onward is, fourth, fifteen-and-a-half lines of verse, versifying the matching of the fourth point above, the parable of freedom from falsehood. The matching correlation above had two parts — first raising the two parables, and afterward matching the freedom from falsehood — but here only the matching of the freedom from falsehood is versified, the text falling into two: the first three-and-a-half lines directly versify the matching of the chapter-heading on freedom from falsehood; and next, from "if there are bodhisattvas" onward, second, twelve verses versify the matching of the explanation of freedom from falsehood, Śāriputra himself constructing the parable of this being in keeping with the original intention, and hence free of falsehood. The father, from the start, wished only to bring his sons safely out of danger, and so devised the three carts; once they had escaped the danger, even had the lesser carts not been given, this still would not have gone against his original intention, and hence there was no falsehood. The Buddha, in versifying this parable, thereby makes clear the freedom from falsehood — making clear that the Buddha's own original intention was, from the start, to teach the one, but, because those under the five turbidities would not believe and accept it, he taught the three instead, and, the obstruction of the turbidities now removed, he teaches once more the one great vehicle, this being exactly in keeping with his original intention. Here, first, the chapter-heading falls into three: the first line first fixes father and son together, making clear that he had, from the start, wished to give the great vehicle, and hence the text says, "all are my own children," it being proper, by principle, that he should give the great vehicle equally to them all. Next, from "you" onward, second, one verse makes clear that the reason he then taught the three vehicles was to remove this obstruction, and hence it says, "you, for many kalpas, have been consumed by every suffering." Next, from "though I formerly" onward, third, one-and-a-half lines make clear that, the obstruction now removed, he returns to his original intention and gives the Dharma of the great vehicle, and hence it says, "what ought now to be done is only the Buddha's own wisdom."

From "if there are bodhisattvas" onward is, second, twelve lines, versifying the matching explanation, once again explaining the three senses above. The first two verses explain that they are alike in being his children, and that it is proper, by principle, that they be treated equally; next, from "if a person of lesser wisdom" onward, second, seven verses explain that, being unable to receive the great vehicle, he then taught the three vehicles; and next, from "in reality, not yet" onward, third, three verses explain that, afterward, once they proved capable, he returned and gave them the great vehicle. Here, first, the two lines: "if there are bodhisattvas" refers to the sentient beings transformed by the skillful means of the three vehicles, all of them being buddha's children who formed this karmic bond in former times, and all of them alike possessing the buddha-nature of true suchness — hence it says, "all are bodhisattvas." From "if a person of lesser wisdom" onward, second, seven lines make clear that, their obstruction of lesser wisdom being grave, they could not at once believe and accept the great vehicle, and, for this reason, by skillful means, the three were opened out to draw in and guide those of lesser wisdom. As for "taught the truth of suffering": the śrāvaka, being the smallest of the three vehicles, was taught by way of the truth of suffering as the initial gate. As for "the minds of these beings rejoiced": corresponding to what they had formerly practiced, they rejoiced — having, from the start, wearied of birth-and-death and sought nirvāṇa for themselves, now, hearing of release, they found this in keeping with their former practice, and so rejoiced. Here it directly makes clear the four truths that are constructed. As for "only leaving behind falsehood": ignorance is already itself unreal, and the pervasive afflictions, attaching themselves to ignorance, arise from it, and are hence called "falsehood"; the constructed four truths only remove this affliction, and this is called liberation — being freed from the fragmentary birth-and-death of the six destinies, but not yet freed from the birth-and-death of transformation, this liberation is not yet true freedom.

From "in reality, not yet attained" onward is, third, three verses, explaining that, the obstruction now removed and their faculties grown sharper, he returns and gives them, in accordance with his original intention, the Dharma of the great vehicle. The Buddha's original wish was to give complete liberation to all, but these beings have now, for the first time, only cut off the fragmentary birth-and-death — this is not the great nirvāṇa, and, because they have not yet attained the whole of liberation, this still does not, in the end, accord with his original intention, and hence it says, "it was not my intention to bring them only to this extinction." Now, instead, he causes them to attain the unsurpassed path and enter the great nirvāṇa, and this alone is what truly, ultimately accords with the Buddha's original intention. Complete liberation is precisely the uncreated truth of cessation, and the unsurpassed path is precisely the uncreated truth of the path — by means of these two truths he breaks through the uncreated truths of suffering and its origination; formerly he had wished to teach these very truths, but these beings were not yet capable of receiving them, and now, the obstruction having been removed, he teaches them after all.

The Buddha, being the king of the Dharma, has already attained mastery over the provisional and the real alike; in opening the three to reveal the one reality, how could there ever be any falsehood in this?

From "Śāriputra, this seal of the Dharma of mine" onward is, sixth, fifteen lines of verse, exhorting to faith and to propagation. "Faith" means believing whether or not the Buddha has taught this; "exhorting" means urging on both whether it may be propagated and whether it may not — having these two senses, it is called "exhorting to faith." The text falls into two: first, stating the two chapter-headings; and second, the explanation. The first line states the chapter on teaching or not teaching: as for teaching, the Tathāgata teaches this seal of the Dharma for the sake of benefiting the world; as for not teaching, for more than forty years the time for teaching it had not yet come, and, the five thousand not yet having withdrawn, it was for this reason not yet taught. Next, the half-line following "in whatever place one travels" states the chapter on whether it may be propagated or not: one must not spread it about heedlessly — teaching it forcibly to the evil causes them to fall into suffering, while withholding it from the good causes them mistakenly to lose their happiness; where great compassion has pity on the evil, it will not propagate it there, and where great loving-kindness is mindful of the good, it ought to propagate it there — this is called stating the chapter on whether it may be propagated or not. From "if there are those who hear it" onward is, second, the explanation, which again falls into two: the first eight lines explain what may and may not be taught, and the second, fifty-and-a-half lines, explain what may and may not be propagated. Here, first, the eight lines make clear the marks of the Tathāgata's benefiting the world. In general terms this discusses benefit across the three times; in particular terms it discusses bringing the two lesser vehicles to faith. "Non-retrogression" is contemplating the benefit in the present; "have formerly seen" is contemplating the good of the past, for the sake of teaching; and "have faith in you, and in me" is contemplating the good of the future, for the sake of teaching — the text below, saying, "if there are those of deep faith and understanding, they shall see the Buddha forever dwelling on Vulture Peak," carries exactly this same sense. This one line of the Lotus Sūtra draws together what precedes and opens onto what follows: the Tathāgata, contemplating and knowing the benefit across the three times, therefore teaches it, while those of shallow wisdom, being unable to understand, are therefore not taught it. This explains the chapter on the Tathāgata's teaching or not teaching.

From "arrogant, indolent" onward explains the chapter on whether the practitioner may propagate it or not, and this again falls into two: the first thirty-six-and-a-half lines make clear that, if one is to use the gate of great compassion, one must not teach it to the evil — first citing the number of the evil, warning that they will certainly give rise to evil slander and reap an evil fruit of retribution, and that, for this reason, great compassion does not teach it to them. As for "cutting off the buddha-seed of the world": the Vimalakīrti Sūtra takes affliction itself as the seed of the Tathāgata, taking hold, here, of the nature of the object of cognition; the Larger Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra takes the wisdom of all modes as what is studied through prajñā, taking hold, here, of the nature of the revealing cause as the buddha-seed; the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra holds that the principle of the nature of mind is never cut off, taking hold, here, of the nature of the correct cause as the buddha-seed; and the present sūtra makes clear that even a small good deed brings one to buddhahood, taking hold, here, of the conditioning cause as the buddha-seed — if one does not believe that even a small good deed brings one to buddhahood, this is precisely cutting off the buddha-seed of the world.

From "if there are those of sharp faculties" onward, nineteen lines, explains that, in the time for propagating the sūtra, one is to use the gate of great loving-kindness: to the good, one ought to proclaim it, so that they do not lose their happiness. Now, the essential point of propagation lies in harmonizing these two gates so that each finds its proper place — this is good transmission; if it does not find its proper place, this is heedless propagation. The text falls into two: the first seventeen lines set out five pairs, ten marks, of the good person, to whom it may be proclaimed; and the remaining two lines draw the general conclusion that it ought to be taught to them. First, past and present make one pair: "sharp faculties" belongs to the present, and "having planted good roots" belongs to the past; "strong in memory" belongs to the present, and "having seen hundreds and thousands of buddhas" belongs to the past. Second, high and low make one pair: "cultivating loving-kindness" shows compassion toward those below, and "reverence" honors those above. Third, inward and outward make one pair: "casting aside evil and drawing near to the good" is seeking outwardly, and "upholding the precepts as one guards a pearl" is protecting inwardly. Fourth, practicing for oneself and transforming others make one pair: "upright and reverent toward the Buddha" is practice for oneself, and "teaching the Dharma through parables" is transforming others. Fifth, beginning and end make one pair: "seeking the Dharma in the four directions" is the beginning of requesting instruction, and "receiving it upon the crown of the head and devoting oneself entirely to its practice" is the end of taking refuge and reliance (and so on, as before). The two lines following "he told Śāriputra" draw the general conclusion. There being many marks of good faith, only ten are briefly set out here to show the method of propagation, making plain the essential point of the two gates of compassion and loving-kindness, of what may and may not be propagated.

Explaining the "Faith and Understanding" Chapter

Some say that "faith and understanding" comprises three stages of transformation: the initial, the following, and the final. Formerly teaching the great vehicle was the initial stage; turning away from the great and coming after was the following stage; and father and son seeing one another again was the final stage. Others say that the goodness of humans and devas was the initial stage, that teaching the Lesser Vehicle up through the Lotus was the following stage, and that teaching the Lotus and granting the prediction was the final stage. Others say that first teaching the two lesser vehicles was the initial stage, that turning to teach others was the following stage, and that the Lotus was the final stage. Others say that turning to teach others was the initial stage, that passing through the Vaipulya teachings was the following stage, and that awakening to the one vehicle was the final stage. Others say that teaching the Lotus itself was the initial stage, that the constant teaching and transformation through the ten grounds was the following stage, and that reaching the vajra-like mind was the final stage. Others say that forming the great vow was the initial stage, that the interval between was the following stage, and that attaining buddhahood was the final stage. In my own view, these various explanations pile up upon one another, jade shavings rather than the jewel itself. Now, the initial stage is not the original intention, and the final stage is the ultimate purport; teaching humans, devas, and the two lesser vehicles as the initial stage may indeed not be the original intention — but if what was formerly taught was the great vehicle, and what is now taught is the Lotus, how can this, being final, be called merely initial? If the Lotus, though final, is turned once more into something merely initial, and the initial stage of humans and devas is turned instead into something final, this is a great inversion. Again, if the two lesser vehicles are the initial stage, then the thatched hut must be broken down; if the great vehicle formerly taught is the initial stage, then the pearl sewn into the garment must likewise be broken down. If one is broken down and the other is not, then one is truly initial and the other is not. Again, if father and son seeing one another is the final stage, then, if the earlier "final" ought already to have brought about awakening to the one, the later "final" would have no further use; but if it is the later "final" that brings about this awakening, then the earlier "final" was not truly final. At every turn there is some difficulty, and none of these accounts will do here. Some say that this chapter belongs to the trace gate.

Why is this? Because the Tathāgata's attainment of the path lies already so long in the past, and even the intervening pause belongs to the trace as well. In my own view, this is indeed so in principle, but it is inconvenient with respect to the actual text. Why is this? The Buddha has not yet taught the trace and the origin — how, then, could this chapter suddenly anticipate and take hold of that teaching in advance? If the three had not yet been brought together, awakening to the one ought already to have occurred (and so on, as before).

Now, in explaining this chapter: faculties are sharp or dull, afflictions are thick or thin, teaching proceeds through dharma-exposition and through parable, and awakening comes sooner for some and later for others. Before the assembly of the Lotus, the disciples were like a pea still unripened — the text says, "the Tathāgata having taught the Dharma for so long a time, I, then seated in the assembly, my body wearied and my strength failing, could only reflect upon emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, without a single thought of delight in the bodhisattva Dharma." At first, hearing the brief teaching, their attachments were stirred and doubt arose; hearing the extensive account of the five buddhas, they remained shrouded and were not yet awakened; but now, hearing the parable, they are joyful and exultant — faith arises, understanding is born, doubt departs, and the principle becomes clear. Joy is the mundane siddhānta; the arising of faith is the individual siddhānta; the departure of doubt is the therapeutic siddhānta; and the principle's becoming clear is the siddhānta of ultimate meaning — for this reason and condition, the chapter is named "Faith and Understanding."

Those receiving either the Lesser or the Greater teaching, at the point of first turning from the ordinary person into the sage, each have their own sequence of stages. Within the Lesser Vehicle alone: the follower of faith gives rise to understanding from what is heard, and, once the patient acceptance of the truth of suffering brings faith to manifestation, this is called "practice"; the follower of the Dharma proceeds through direct contemplation of the dharmas, and, once the patient acceptance of the truth of suffering brings the dharma itself to manifestation, this too is called "practice." If one is a follower of faith, then, turning to enter the path of cultivation, one is thereupon renamed a follower of faith-and-understanding; if one is a follower of the Dharma, then, entering the path of cultivation, one is thereupon renamed one who has attained through vision. Measuring the Lesser Vehicle against the Greater, the same pattern ought to hold here as well. A person of middling faculties, hearing the parable told, at first breaks through doubt and confusion and enters the path of vision within the Great Vehicle, and this is called faith; advancing further, one enters the path of cultivation within the Great Vehicle, and this is called understanding. The text says, "this heap of unsurpassed treasure, sought by none of us, has come to us of itself — we are, this very day, in truth true śrāvakas."

By the sound of the buddha-path he causes all to hear it — hearing the perfect teaching, they enter the perfect stage, and hence the chapter is named "Faith and Understanding." As for the trace and the origin: the four great disciples entered the Great Vehicle long ago and had already accomplished the Buddha's own Dharma, but, in the trace, they draw forth those of middling faculties, displaying an initial faith and understanding — and hence, too, the chapter is named "Faith and Understanding."

This is the section in which they express their understanding — receiving, nearby, the burning-house parable, and, at a distance, the "Skillful Means" chapter. The text falls into two: first, the sūtra-compilers narrate their joy; and second, they themselves address the Buddha and set it forth. First their inward mind is narrated, and next their outward reverence. Subhūti alone is called "Wisdom-Life." As for the "Great" placed before the names of the other three: in general terms this speaks of them all as great and all as wise, but, in particular, Subhūti's understanding of emptiness, this very wisdom of emptiness, is taken as his "life" — this is speaking in terms of practice. Among all who possess wisdom, the Buddha's own wisdom is foremost, and the Buddha, in the Prajñāpāramitā teachings, charged Subhūti with the task of turning to teach others — because he was thus charged by the one possessed of wisdom, he is called "Wisdom-Life." The other three disciples were charged with this less often, and did not take emptiness as the essence of their practice — this is speaking in terms of the teaching.

The sense of "Mahā-" ["Great"] is as explained before (and so on, as before). As for the reason for their joy: at a distance, they had heard the five-part dharma-exposition of "Skillful Means" — the sūtra-compilers here narrate only two of these, hearing the rare Dharma and hearing the prediction, or it may be that hearing the rare Dharma comprises four of the five parts, and seeing the prediction granted is the fifth. Hearing and witnessing what had never before occurred is the reason for their joy. As for "gave rise to a mind of rare wonder": this narrates how, nearby, hearing the fourfold telling of the parable, a mind of rare wonder arose within them — and, this mind having arisen, it is called faith; by this faith they enter, and, entering, they reach the stage of joy — this is precisely the sense of "Faith and Understanding." As for "rose from their seats": this narrates their outward reverence, as the text has it. Following the pattern of Śāriputra, they too ought to express their understanding through the three modes of action, body, speech, and mind — this may be understood by referring to what came before.

From "addressed the Buddha" onward, they set it forth by their own words. The text falls into two: first, the prose section, together with seventy-three-and-a-half verses, directly sets forth the understanding they have attained; and next, thirteen verses give thanks for the depth of the Buddha's grace. Because this understanding comes from the Buddha, the setting-forth comes first and the thanksgiving follows. The prose section again falls into two: first, a brief dharma-exposition, and second, an extensive telling through parable. The brief exposition again falls into two: the dharma-exposition itself, and a brief citing of the parable. The dharma-exposition again falls into two: first, making clear that, formerly having received the three vehicles, they had not sought the great vehicle; and second, making clear that, now, the three having been brought together into the one, they have obtained it of themselves. Within "not having sought," there is a statement and an explanation. The statement has three parts: first, because of their standing at the head of the assembly; second, because of their advanced years as laypeople in their former life; and third, because of what they had already attained and verified. First, as for their standing at the head of the assembly: their years in the Dharma being already so many, those who came later took them as a model, and, were they now suddenly to change course and abandon the lesser to seek the greater, this would draw the disapproval of those who followed after — guarding this position of their own accord, they therefore did not seek it. Second, their years as laypeople being already advanced: were they to act as bodhisattvas, they ought to devote themselves wholly to the great path and broadly deliver sentient beings, but, being now aged and decrepit, they were fit for no such task, and therefore did not seek it. Third, having already attained nirvāṇa, the unconditioned, correct position, they could not give rise to the great mind — just as the lotus does not grow on high, dry ground — their wisdom of exhaustion and of non-arising being already established, they had nothing further to rely upon or seek. Why is this? In explaining these three reasons for not seeking, the text does not proceed in strict order: it first explains not seeking because of having attained nirvāṇa, and next explains their advanced years, which also takes in their standing at the head of the assembly, or perhaps points to their having, for so long a time, taken no delight in the Dharma being taught. In explaining not seeking because of their standing at the head of the assembly, having already spoken of being seated in the assembly and further spoken of their advanced years, one thereby knows this to be the explanation of their standing at the head.

The explanation of not seeking is as the text has it. From "we, today, before the Buddha" onward, they set forth the reason for their attaining understanding: at a distance, they had heard the five sections opening the three, briefly and then extensively, to reveal the real, and it is for this reason that they now rejoice. As for "obtained this great and good benefit": this directly sets forth their attaining understanding, this being the awakening they gained, nearby, from hearing the fourfold telling of the rare Dharma through parable — the good benefit of this awakening. From "immeasurable precious treasure" onward is, second, a brief citing of the parable, a parable for their formerly not seeking and yet, now, obtaining of themselves this rare treasure of the Dharma.

From "World-Honored One, we take joy in speaking through parable" onward is the extensive expression of their understanding, comprising both the opening of the parable and the matching correlation, and, wishing to open it, they first ask leave to speak (and so on, as before). The parable falls into five: first, from "abandoned his father and fled" onward, is named the parable of father and son becoming lost to one another, receiving, nearby, the general parable of the burning house, and, at a distance, the brief verses of "Skillful Means"; second, from "the destitute son, hiring himself out for wages" onward, is named the parable of father and son seeing one another again, receiving, nearby, the seeing of the fire in the burning house, and, at a distance, "I, with the Buddha's own eye, observed and saw"; third, from "at once sent men nearby to pursue and bring him back urgently" onward, is named the parable of pursuit and enticement, receiving, nearby, the setting aside of the bench and the use of the cart, and, at a distance, holding back the great and bestowing the lesser; fourth, from "after this, their minds coming to trust one another" onward, is the parable of coming to know the household estate — this does not receive anything from the near or the distant sections above, but rather takes up the sense of the reproof at the Vaipulya assemblies and the turning to teach others in the Larger Prajñāpāramitā; and fifth, from "after some time had further passed, the father, knowing his son's mind" onward, is named the parable of bestowing the household estate, receiving, nearby, the bestowal of the one great cart, and, at a distance, the dharma-exposition's directly setting aside skillful means. The fourth and fifth may also be taken together as a single parable of bestowal, and their sense will be made clearer still below.

The old accounts match the elder to Amitābha Buddha of the western Pure Land, but this is not adopted here. Amitābha is a distinct buddha, and his karmic affinity is different: because the buddha is distinct, the sense of concealment and manifestation cannot be established, and because the karmic affinity is different, the sense of father and son cannot be established; moreover, this sūtra, from beginning to end, carries not the slightest trace of this meaning, and it is a forced interpretation, argued with eyes shut. Here, instead, the parable is worked through according to the text and in keeping with its own sense: in explaining the destitute son, the dharma of the half-word teaching, belonging to the two lesser vehicles, is taken up to work through the text; and in explaining the elder, the gate of the full-word teaching, belonging to Vairocana Buddha, is taken up to work through the text. Why is this? Within the house, the elder removes his necklace and dons coarse, soiled clothing — the necklace and the clothing differ, yet the person remains one and the same — a parable for Vairocana Buddha concealing his immeasurable spiritual virtues and manifesting instead the golden radiance of the sixteen-foot body, taking up the dung-basket and establishing the teaching of the three vehicles: concealment and manifestation differ, but how does this bear upon any distinction in essence? If even Vairocana's own donning and removing of these forms, so near at hand, is not yet understood, how, then, could Amitābha, so distant, ever have undergone any such transformation (and so on, as before)?

The parable of father and son becoming lost to one another again falls into four: first, the son turning his back on his father and going away; second, the father seeking his son and then pausing; third, the son happening upon his native land; and fourth, the father's longing thoughts. Each of these four sections has two parts. The first two: first, turning his back and going away, receives the five hundred people of the general parable — having formerly formed the karmic bond of children to a Mahāyāna father, they soon afterward lost this understanding and drifted through the five destinies, and hence it says, "some ten, some twenty, up to fifty years" — being, throughout, buddha's children, yet this sense of "child" having grown so faint, it says "young"; and, not having remained within the realm of their own karmic bond, it says "dwelling long in another land." Second, turning back toward their native land receives the thirty children of the general parable — this karmic affinity now having some slight sense of taking hold, it says "grown up"; and this affinity, having passed through suffering, comes to touch the Buddha's great compassion, and hence it says, "chanced upon their native land." The father seeking his son and then pausing has two parts: first, the father seeking his son and not finding him, receiving the elder of the general parable — from the time sentient beings turned back from the great vehicle, he watched for the occasion of their great capacity, but it had not yet come, and hence it says, "did not find him"; and second, pausing within a single city — "his household" receives the house of the general parable, and "of great wealth" receives the sense of the elder's virtuous deeds and his wealth, within and without, in the general parable. The son's arriving at his father's city falls into two: first, the reason for his arrival at the city, receiving the marks of suffering under the fire's outbreak — from the time he turned back from the great vehicle, he wandered from place to place, fully undergoing every hardship; and second, his finally arriving at his father's city, taking this suffering as the occasion by which he touches the Buddha's great compassion, and hence it says, "finally arrived at his father's city." The father's longing and his joy are likewise two: first, his grief at the thought of his lost son, and second, his joy at the thought of regaining him, receiving the one gate of the general parable — the son, being yet young, would not, by taking this gate, stir his father's grief, but it is by this very gate that he was, from the start, to be brought across, and so it stirs, instead, his father's joy. The analysis of the chapters is now complete.

In working through the text: first, the son turning his back on his father and going away falls into two. First, "suppose there is a person" receives the twenty children as a parable for the two lesser vehicles — the bodhisattvas' own stages and practice being difficult to know, this receives only what corresponds to them and no further. As for "his years already young": the old account holds that having heard little of the Dharma is called "young," but, if this were so, would not the text below, speaking of "grown up," mean having heard much of the Dharma? Here, instead, it is because the thick weight of ignorance covers over the understanding mind, and this understanding mind, being without force, is called "young"; while the gradual permeating and covering by the roots of goodness, coming little by little to take hold, is called "grown up." As for "abandoned his father and fled": turning back from the great vehicle is "abandoning"; ignorance covering oneself over is called "fleeing"; and heading toward birth-and-death is "going away."

Question:
After the Buddha sets aside his response, sentient beings give rise to affliction — this is the father leaving the son, not the son abandoning the father.

Answer:
It is because sentient beings no longer move the Buddha that he then departs from the world — and this, after all, amounts to the sense of the son abandoning the father.

As for "dwelling long in another land": the dharma-realm of nirvāṇa is the Buddha's own native land, and birth-and-death, together with the five desires, is the "other land." Formerly having sought release, he instead turned back and fell away without returning, and hence it says "dwelling long." "Some ten" is the destiny of the devas; "twenty" is the destiny of humans; and "fifty" is all five destinies together — this speaks, in terms of a single person, of that person's passing fully through the whole cycle of every destiny.

From "his years now grown up" onward is, second, the parable of turning back toward his native land. "Young" has two senses: first, being foolish and small; and second, not yet having encountered suffering, and so not knowing to turn back — a parable for how, after forming this karmic bond, before the great understanding has ripened, one is like a fool who does not turn back, still clinging to some remaining merit, indulging in confusion, and not returning. Now, however, habituated karma subtly permeates him, and he comes faintly to know the direction of the path; encountering suffering and losing his happiness, he thinks to seek release — these two conditions become the occasion by which he touches the Buddha, and this is called gradually turning toward his father's native land. The text above says, "if a person encounters suffering, nirvāṇa is taught for their sake" — if the two forms of goodness belonging to humans and devas do not themselves constitute the karmic affinity for touching the Buddha, then not seeing the buddha-father while yet within the three realms is "destitution," not attaining the art of release is likewise "destitution," and being consumed by the fire of the eight sufferings is "distress." As for "racing about in the four directions in search of food and clothing": the old account holds that the causes and effects belonging to the five precepts and the ten wholesome deeds of humans and devas each serve as the "four directions" by which one provides for oneself, or that this refers to seeking food and clothing amid the toil of the four modes of birth. The text below says, "only after a hundred and thirty kalpas do we now, for the first time, gain sight of him" — throughout those kalpas it was not that there was no causality belonging to humans and devas, and yet it could not touch the Buddha, and one thereby knows that this goodness is not itself the occasion for seeing the Buddha. Here, the Buddha not yet having appeared in the world, every ordinary person, in body, sensation, mind, and dharmas, gives rise to the four views; within these, seeking the correct path is like seeking food, and seeking what aids the path is like seeking clothing — taking weariness of suffering and the search for the principle as the karmic condition fit for transformation, and, when the Buddha first appeared in the world, the various non-Buddhist teachers were all delivered first — this is exactly this same sense. The Great Sūtra says, "contemplating closely the four directions is a parable for the four truths" — and this may be understood accordingly.

As for "gradually wandering along, he chanced to turn toward his native land": this makes clear his weariness of suffering and his wish for release, seeking nirvāṇa though by a mistaken path — although this was not his original intention, he nevertheless comes to encounter the Buddha, and hence it says "chanced toward," and "native land" is as explained above. The text below makes clear how "city" and "house" are to be distinguished. All the Buddha's Dharma taken as the "country" — this sense is the broadest; "city" carries a slightly more restricted sense, taking nirvāṇa, the virtue of severance guarding against wrong and warding off evil, as the "city"; and "house" is closer still, taking great compassion, one in essence with all, as the "house." From "his father, who had earlier gone in search of his son and had not found him" onward is, second, the parable of the father seeking his son and then pausing, this too falling into two: first, from the time sentient beings turned back from the great vehicle, he sought the occasion but it did not come together, and, not coming together, it is called "not finding him." Second, as for "paused within a single city": he did not, for the sake of one son alone, set aside his household affairs — a parable for the Buddha's not setting aside his teaching and transformation in other quarters merely because one place lacked the capacity for it. The old account holds that the interval between the twenty thousand buddhas of the past and Śākyamuni Buddha, or the space between the two pillars, constitutes this "pausing." Here it is held that the sense of "pausing between" may indeed be so, but that "pausing," taken as country, city, or house, cannot be used in this literal sense. Here, instead, the land of skillful means with residue is taken as the "country"; the interval between the realm shared in common and the realm of the fruit of reward is taken as the "between"; the nirvāṇa with residue is taken as the "city"; and dwelling in this nirvāṇa is called "pausing." Abiding here as his household, he gives rise to both the superior and the inferior forms of responsive manifestation — the inferior response corresponding to the śrāvakas, and the superior response corresponding to the bodhisattvas. The five men who have cut off the shared afflictions are born together in this same land, all of them as bodhisattvas, and the Buddha responds to them with his superior manifestation, instructing and causing them to study and practice purely the household estate of the great vehicle — pausing here, he watches for the capacity of the sons who dwell there in the realm shared in common. It is not only the sense of "between" that is thereby made to fit, but "country," "city," and "household estate" are all, every one of them, made plain. As for "of great wealth": the domain of true reality is the "household," being fully possessed of the myriad virtues is called "wealth," the merit of the five pāramitās is called "riches," the wisdom of prajñā is called "treasure," and guiding all beings entirely by means of the Mahāyāna is called "immeasurable." Gold, silver, pearls, and the rest are the thirty-seven factors of the path belonging to the great vehicle. This is precisely what receives the sense of the elder's great wealth above.

As for "storehouses and treasuries filled to overflowing": being full within is "filled," and overflowing without is "overflowing"; that which holds grain is the "storehouse," and that which holds other goods is the "treasury." The "storehouse" is a parable for meditative absorption, since meditative absorption gives birth to the hundred and eight samādhis; and the "treasury" is a parable for true reality, since it is able to bring forth the wisdom of the eighteen forms of emptiness. Providing for oneself is "filled," and transforming others is "overflowing" — this receives the earlier sense of possessing many fields and dwellings. As for "young attendants and servants": the pāramitā of skillful means, knowledge, and vision, being fully and completely possessed, bends and adapts itself to every occasion, according perfectly with both the matter at hand and its underlying principle — this receives the earlier sense of possessing many servants and attendants as well. Speaking in terms of stage: the two lesser vehicles, together with the bodhisattvas of the shared teaching and the thirty stages of mind of the distinct teaching, are all like "young attendants and servants"; the ten grounds of the distinct and perfect teachings are like "ministers"; the ten dedications are like "assistants"; the ten practices are like "officials"; and the ten abodes are like "the people." Upon first entering the Buddha's own domain, every guest throughout the realm is none other than the king's own people, and, though one may already count as one of "the people," one remains still distant compared with the officials and assistants; the ten practices, passing individually through the cultivation of every dharma, are driven this way and that in their many tasks, like the officials; the ten dedications, their grasp of both principle and phenomena now somewhat deeper, hold office nearer to the king's own side, like the assistants; and the ten grounds assist the Buddha in carrying out his transforming work, subduing demons and mastering every foe, and are hence like the ministers. The single mind's threefold contemplation is like the "elephant," bearing the great vehicle of the perfect teaching; the sequential threefold contemplation is like the "horse," bearing the great vehicle of the distinct teaching; the contemplation of emptiness through analysis is like the "ox," bearing the great vehicle of the shared teaching and the like; and the contemplation of dharmas through analysis, practiced for oneself alone, is like the deer, the goat, and the rest, bearing the dharma of the two lesser vehicles.

As for "countless": every dharma, provisional and real alike, is called a "cart" or "vehicle," and provisional and real wisdom and contemplation are called "elephant, horse, ox, and goat" — not only are the teachings themselves exceedingly many, the modes of contemplation and wisdom are likewise countless. As for "going out and coming in": the two, being not-two, is "coming in," and the not-two, being two, is "going out"; or, again, the not-two, being two, is "coming in," and the two, being not-two, is "going out"; the immeasurable returning to the one is "coming in," and the one, containing the immeasurable, is "going out"; the function of transforming others is "going out," and the function of practicing for oneself is "coming in." Going forth with the Dharma to benefit sentient beings is "yielding growth," and the merit of this transformation returning to oneself is "profit." As for "and reached even into other lands": pervading the three buddha-lands and, walking through what is not the path, penetrating through to the buddha-path — this is exactly its sense, for only the dharma-nature is truly one's own native land. As for "merchants and traders, too, were exceedingly numerous": every bodhisattva is such a merchant, pervading, moreover, the three lands in search of the profit of the Dharma, and hence it says they were numerous. Bodhisattvas of this land go to other quarters to hear the Dharma, and great beings of other quarters come to this one to hear the sūtra taught — going back and forth, gathering this profit. Again, the responsive body and the transformation body are like traders, carrying the true Dharma pervasively into the three lands, transforming and benefiting sentient beings, and then returning to the dharma-body — hence it says they were exceedingly numerous, just as, among people of the world, one may set another to hold one's wealth and increase it, while thereby increasing one's own wealth as well.

From "at that time the destitute son wandered through the villages" onward is, third, the parable of the son drawing near again to his father. This too falls into two: first, seeking food and clothing, and second, arriving at his father's city. The first, inwardly, matches how, once he had turned back from the great vehicle, fully undergoing every suffering, a deep weariness and disgust arose within him, and, wishing to seek release, his grasp of the principle went astray, coming to form a wrong and deviant view. Yet, through this wrong wisdom passing through his mind, he could readily be brought into the correct path, and seeking what transcends the world became the occasion for touching the Buddha. Contemplating the five aggregates is the "villages"; the twelve sense-fields are the "settlements"; and the eighteen elements are the "country" — passing through these in search of the principle is called "seeking food and clothing." Second, from "at last arrived at the place where his father dwelt" onward, this is his turning directly toward it. As for "the city where his father dwelt": the condition of suffering becomes the occasion, and touching the Buddha's great compassion is called arriving at the city — the city being precisely nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa spans both the partial and the full, and sentient beings' habituated understanding may indeed carry the sense of attaining nirvāṇa — hence it says he arrived at the city.

From "the father, forever thinking of his son" onward is, fourth, precisely the parable of the father's longing thoughts for his son. This too falls into two: first, his grief at the thought of his lost son. The Tathāgata, from of old until now, has forever thought of his son's great capacity, and hence it says, "forever thinking." As for "more than fifty years": this is the five destinies; opening out the hungry ghosts and adding the asuras is what "more" refers to. As for "had never yet spoken of him": he had never yet, among the ministers, assistants, and officials of the land of skillful means with residue, spoken of there being this son, of this karmic occasion. Again, from the time of his response to the world, from of old, throughout the assemblies of the Avataṃsaka, the Vaipulya, and the Larger Prajñāpāramitā, he had never yet told the great beings there that these śrāvakas were, from the outset, children of the great vehicle. Being, apparently, not the Buddha's children, they did not understand the Buddha's own Dharma — some as though deaf and mute, some clinging to their flowers and bowing at their seats, some abandoning their alms-bowls, at a loss — falling short in every manner of way. As for "his heart harbored regret and remorse": regret that, formerly, he had not diligently taught and instructed them, thereby causing them, untaught, to flee; and remorse that his son gave no thought to the bond of kindness owed him, keeping distant from him and drawing close to another instead — inwardly, this matches the Tathāgata's own regret at not having urged them on more earnestly to enter the ranks of the inner ordinary worldling, so that they thereupon fell back and were lost. According to the original explanation, this is remorse that the son, having no such thought, was unable to press forward with diligence, held fast in his confusion and fled without returning — hence it speaks of regret and remorse. As for "reflected to himself on his own old age and decline": the period of his transforming activity now nearing its end, there being no one to whom the great Dharma might be transmitted, this is like being old and decrepit and without a son.

Question:
The bodhisattvas transformed by the dharma-body are all fit to succeed to Buddhahood — why, then, this sudden anxiety?

Answer:
Those transformed by the dharma-body know, from the start, no rising or falling — who, then, speaks of old age and decline? This is not what is under discussion here. Here, rather, it is made clear that the retinue of the transformation body is of two kinds: first, the great beings of the dharma-body, whose forms are but echoes and reflections — although in their traces they appear as disciples, in their origin they may in fact be teachers, and it is not with reference to these that he reflects upon his own old age and decline; and second, the ordinary worldlings dwelling in the realm shared in common, who, from the very moment they first set their minds upon the path under the transformation body, are called his children.

It is the son who carries on the father's estate, so that the family line is not cut off — if Śāriputra receives the prediction and becomes Padmaprabha Buddha, then the buddha-seed of that one quarter continues on unbroken, the household estate of the great vehicle handed down from one to the next in succession; but if Śāriputra had no capacity fit for this transformation, then the Dharma-wealth of the great vehicle would, even now, have no one to whom it might be entrusted — and where, then, would the buddha-seed for beings yet to come find its resting place? His sigh over his own old age and decline is precisely for this reason. From "and had, further, this thought: if I could obtain a son" onward is, second, his thought of the joy of regaining a son. The capacity fit to be delivered is called "obtaining a son"; granting the prediction of buddhahood is called "entrusting the Dharma-wealth"; and, this according exactly with his original intention, it is further called "joy." With this, the reception of the general parable above is complete.

From "at that time the destitute son, hired out to labor" onward is, second, the parable of father and son seeing one another — near at hand, matching the seeing of the fire within the burning house; far off, matching the sense of the five turbidities within "Skillful Means." This falls into three: first, making clear the destitute son's being hired out to labor, matching the fire seen within the burning house, and, in the dharma-teaching, the five turbidities that are seen; second, the father seeing the son, matching the elder's seeing within the burning house, and, in the dharma-teaching, the Buddha's own eye that sees; third, joy at having his wish fulfilled, matching the terror within the burning house, and, in the dharma-teaching, the great compassion that thereby arises. Both the parable and the dharma-teaching alike make clear that the father sees the son first; here, however, it is made clear that the son sees the father first. From the standpoint of the Buddha, his numinous wisdom knows first, and his response arises only afterward — hence it is said that the father sees the son first. From the standpoint of sentient beings, the capacity must come first, and the response comes only afterward — hence it is said that the son sees the father first. Capacity and response are inconceivable, neither before nor after one another, and so the order is stated now one way, now the other, for convenience. For convenience of exposition, the text is now taken as falling into only two sections: first, the son seeing the father; second, the father seeing the son. Within each of these two sections there are, again, four points. The four points of the son first seeing the father are: first, the reason for seeing the father, the reason being his seeking clothing and food; second, the place where he sees the father, this place being at the side of the gate; third, the appearance in which he sees the father, seated upon the lion's throne; and fourth, his fear and avoidance, regretting having come to this place.

As for the reason for seeing the father: it is by being wearied of suffering and delighting in joy, seeking after the flavor of principle, that, little by little, through accumulated practice, the wholesome roots of transcending the world come at last to be formed — hence it is said, "drifting from one hired labor to another." Because these wholesome roots are able to move the Buddha's compassion, it is said, "happened at last to arrive at his father's house." The father is a metaphor for the dharma-body attained after the path; the house is a metaphor for compassion that arises without any object. Both the greater and the lesser capacities together move this house at once: because there is the greater capacity, it is said, "saw his father from a distance"; because there is the lesser capacity, it is said, "stood by the side of the gate." If there were only the lesser capacity and not the greater, then he ought not to have seen the honored, exalted body at all, and the father ought not to have said, "now I have someone to entrust my wealth and storehouses to"; and if there were only the greater capacity and not the lesser, he ought not to have stood at the side of the gate, and the son ought not to have said, "this is no place where I could earn anything by my own labor."

As for the place where he sees the father, this is precisely the side of the gate: the two partial contemplations, taken as skillful means, are precisely the two sides of the gate, while the capacity within the perfect teaching sees the father directly, facing the gate itself; the two lesser vehicles, being of the one-sided real, are therefore said to stand at the side of the gate — for it is only the eye of wisdom of the one-sided real, the samādhi of emptiness alone, that peers sideways upon the dharma-body. As for "saw his father from a distance": true seeing is of two kinds, seeing near at hand and seeing from afar. Here it is said that, the greater capacity only now beginning to stir, the matter of being called to it lies still distant — hence it is said "from a distance"; and, further, because the capacity is still faint and unfit for the response to reach it, this too is called "from a distance." As for "seated upon the lion's throne": this means that the perfectly recompensed dharma-body abides at rest within the principle of emptiness, no longer subject to any fear of the two delusions, the shared and the distinct, or of the eight kinds of demon — hence it is said, "seated upon the lion's throne." The Avataṃsaka Sūtra speaks of the emptiness of ultimate meaning, with the four fearlessnesses forming the throne. As for "his feet resting on the jeweled bench": concentration and wisdom form the feet, and the truth of reality forms the bench — the concentration and wisdom of non-arising rest upon the state of true suchness. "Brahmins," according to the ancients, means those of noble and excellent great lineage, from the eighth ground and above. "Warrior-nobles" means those from the seventh ground and below. "Householders" means the ordinary worldlings of the inner stage, and the like. The ancients said that what this sūtra makes clear here is the dharma-body, but not the ever-abiding dharma-body — rather, that this is a response-body from another region about to respond within this land, and so is treated, for the occasion, as the dharma-body of this place, and hence there are ordinary worldlings of the inner stage of every kind surrounding him. Here, however, it is held that this is not so: if one takes this to be a buddha from another region, then the correspondence of capacity and response between father and son, and the taking on and putting off of substance and function, none of it can be made to work, as explained before. Nor would it allow for the lesser capacity to move this buddha while the greater capacity moves that other one, nor ought the great affinity be formed with that one and the lesser affinity with this one, nor ought both affinities be formed here while both responses occur there — such a reading would be a great confusion indeed.

Here it is made clear that the superior response-body responds to bodhisattvas — this is precisely the honored, exalted body of Vairocana, moved by the greater capacity; while the inferior response-body responds to the Lesser Vehicle — the worn robes of the sixteen-foot body, moved by the lesser capacity. The present sūtra makes clear the ever-abiding ghee, equal to what the Nirvāṇa Sūtra teaches, and the perfect and sudden dharma-body, equal to what the Avataṃsaka Sūtra teaches; the majesty and virtue of the elder here likened, his attendants, and the warrior-nobles and brahmins reverently surrounding him, all point to nothing other than the retinue within the Avataṃsaka Sūtra itself, without the slightest difference, and the characteristics of the dharma he expounds are, just as that sūtra makes clear, likewise without any distinction. "Brahmin" is named for pure conduct — noble in lineage and lofty in purity, this is precisely the bodhisattva of equal awakening, utterly free of defilement. "Warrior-noble" is precisely the royal lineage — from the ninth ground down through the first ground. "Householder" is wealthy but not noble — this is precisely the thirty preliminary stages of mind. As for "a necklace of pearls": this is precisely morality, concentration, wisdom, and dhāraṇī-samādhi — the four adornments. As for "worth a thousand myriad pieces": this is precisely the merit of the forty bodhisattva stages, adorning the dharma-body with it. As for "officials, servants, and attendants": read through one gate of meaning, these are those who, receiving the provisional teaching, sever the afflictions shared with the other vehicles, named the "servants"; and those who, receiving the distinct teaching, sever the afflictions shared with the other vehicles, named the "officials." Read through the other, identical gate of meaning, these are simply the pāramitā of skillful means once more — inwardly the same as true wisdom, outwardly the same as the capacities and conditions of beings — a metaphor, as when officials and servants have both an inward duty of service and an outward function of labor.

"The white fly-whisk" is precisely the function of provisional wisdom in use. "Left and right": the right is the function of the wisdom that enters emptiness, sweeping away the dust of the four abodes of affliction; the left is the function of the wisdom that enters the provisional, sweeping away the dust of ignorance — these two together form the skillful means of the middle way, and hence it is said, "attending on either side" (and so on). As for "draped with a jeweled canopy": this is true and real compassion. As for "hung with flowered banners": the flowers are precisely the four means of attraction, and the banners are precisely the spiritual powers. As for "scented water sprinkled on the ground": this is the raining down of the water of the Dharma, sprinkled upon the ground of every bodhisattva's mind so as to submerge the dust of delusion — and is also the water of concentration, sprinkled to disperse the scattered mind. As for "rare flowers scattered about": these are spread as the seven pure flowers, namely morality, concentration, wisdom, the severing of doubt, purity in distinguishing the path from what is not the path, purity of knowledge and vision, and purity through severance and knowledge. Morality is the threefold morality that gathers in the precepts and the rest; concentration is the Śūraṅgama samādhi and the like; wisdom is true and real wisdom itself; the severing of doubt is having already crossed beyond doubt regarding the two truths; purity in distinguishing the path from what is not the path is penetrating to the buddha-path by way of what is not the path; purity of knowledge and vision is the perfection of the virtue of wisdom, seeing the buddha-nature with utter clarity; and purity through severance is the accomplishment of the virtue of severance, ignorance forever exhausted. As for "the treasures arrayed about": this is the true and real merit of every ground, arrayed in order. Taking in and giving out is as explained before (and so on). As for "his majesty and virtue were singularly exalted": his light is boundless and his bodily forms are boundless, the ocean of his marks towering and majestic — this sense can only be made of the Buddha Rocana; how could any other explanation possibly be made of it?

"The destitute son, seeing his father possessed of such great power" onward is, fourth, seeing the father and being seized with fear and avoidance. As for "great power": because his wisdom is great, it is called "great strength"; because his spiritual powers are great, it is called "great might" — the same sense as "strength in his body and hands" above. As for "terror": the lesser capacity, weak and feeble, dreads the great path. As for "regretted having come to this place": the Buddha originally wished to gauge him by the great Dharma, but the response did not fit his capacity, and he had only the intention of retreating from the great — hence it is said, "regretted having come to this place." As for "he thought to himself in secret": this means that, hidden and unseen within his own capacity, this matter dimly existed — it does not mean that he openly and directly beheld the superior response-body. As for "this must be some king, or someone equal to a king": Māra is the king, and his followers make "or equal to a king." The lesser capacity, its ashes of affliction extinguished, has no way of speaking that could reach so far as this — the road of words is cut off before such a form; having now seen the image of the superior response-body, a thing beyond the reach of any deva or human, and hearing a description of the dharma utterly unlike anything of the two lesser vehicles, one of shallow wisdom and thin virtue, never having seen or heard the like before, at once supposes it must be some demon, or something spoken by a demon. In outline, this already opens the three to reveal the one; and Śāriputra's own doubt — could this not be some demon, posing as the Buddha, come to trouble my mind? — if, at the very first use of the great to draw out the small, one doubts the Buddha to be a demon, this fault would already have occurred that very day.

Furthermore, the superior response-body is likened here to the elder — the elder standing precisely for the reward-body Buddha, and hence "a king, or equal to a king": the dharma-body is the reward-body's teacher, and the teacher is like a king — most sūtras, indeed, name this very sūtra the "king of sūtras" — while wisdom, in according with the Dharma, is thus wisdom made equal to the Dharma, and hence the reward-body Buddha is named "equal to" — this being precisely the reward of the Great Vehicle's own Dharma, not a place where the Lesser Vehicle gains any benefit at all; hence, "this must be some king, or someone equal to a king." As for "this is no place where I could earn anything by my own labor": the lesser capacity is unable to receive the great transformation. As for "better to go to some poor quarter instead" through "clothing and food would be easy to come by": the Vimalakīrti Sūtra says, "able, by the Dharma attained through poverty, to bring across those of this base and lowly kind." The principle of mere emptiness does not contain the myriad virtues and is not the tathāgatagarbha — hence it is called "the poor quarter"; the one-sided emptiness suits the lesser wisdom — hence it is called, "my labor would have a place." As for "clothing and food would be easy to come by": this means being able to attain the undefiled clothing and food of nirvāṇa-with-remainder — practice upon practice serving as clothing, and the bestowal of practice serving as food. As for "if I stay here long, I may be pressed and forced to work against my will": practicing the path of the Great Vehicle passes through immeasurable kalpas — hence it is said, "stay here long." I originally dreaded and feared birth-and-death, but were I to cultivate the Great Vehicle, I would necessarily enter birth-and-death; studying the myriad practices at large — hence it is said, "pressed." I originally delighted in the lesser, and now, were I made to give rise to the bodhicitta of the Great Vehicle, this would be "forced to work." Casting aside the great and taking up the lesser — hence it is said, "fled away."

"At that time the wealthy elder" onward is, second, the parable of the father seeing the son. This too has four points: first, the place where the father sees the son; second, seeing the son and recognizing him at once; third, joy at seeing the son; fourth, seeing the son and having his wish fulfilled. As for the place of seeing the son, this is precisely the lion's throne — the Tathāgata's own dharma-body, dwelling within the fearless state of the emptiness of ultimate meaning, clearly illuminating beings' capacities. As for seeing the son and recognizing him at once, this means knowing that this is a being with whom karmic affinity was formed in days gone by. As for his heart being filled with great joy: the Buddha forever watches for his children's capacity to ripen, and now, this capacity having come and matched his compassion, he is therefore filled with joy — this is precisely matching the great compassion that arises within the dharma-teaching; within the burning house it is instead great terror, since there it makes clear the removing of suffering, and hence "terror" is spoken of, while here it makes clear the bestowal of joy, and hence "joy" is spoken of. As for "he thought to himself, 'now I have someone to entrust my wealth and storehouses to'": this is seeing the son with his wish fulfilled.

In the past he saw sentient beings retreat from the great and take up the lesser, seeking food in the poor quarter, their means of livelihood beset with hardship; he had constantly wished to give them his wealth, but, lacking any capacity for it, could not do so — and now, this day, the capacity has come and matched his great compassionate mind, and hence it is said, "now I have someone to entrust my wealth and storehouses to." As for "I have constantly thought of this son of mine": this makes clear that he was not merely poor and without great wealth, but was also pressed by every suffering of drifting through birth-and-death, and was thereby afflicted with great compassion — hence it is said, "constantly thought of him." Though he wished to rescue and deliver him, lacking the capacity there was no way to save him — hence it is said, "with no way to see him." Now that a capacity fit to be delivered has arisen, it is said, "and now, suddenly, he has come of himself." Matching his great compassionate mind, it is said, "this is exactly what I have wished for." As for "though I am old and worn, I still hold to this desire": this explains the reason for his wish being fulfilled. Because this one lifetime's transforming activity is nearing its end, it is said, "old and worn"; not yet having seen the great capacity, the Dharma has no one to entrust it to — through whom, then, could those who come after find liberation? Because of those who might yet be delivered, it is said, "still hold to this desire." Now that the capacity has come of itself, he has no more of this anxious care, and so my wish comes to be fulfilled.

"He at once sent his attendants to pursue him quickly and bring him back" onward is, third, making clear the parable of pursuing and enticing him — near at hand, matching the setting-aside of the low bench and the use of the cart, within the burning house; far off, matching the resting of the great and the offering of the small, within the dharma-teaching. This text falls into two: first, sending attendants to pursue him; next, sending two men to entice him. The prior pursuit matches "though his body and hands had strength, he did not make use of them" above — but in "Skillful Means" the admonition and the persuasion together are treated generally as one, and the explanation given as three parts, while in the "Burning House" the persuasion is opened out from the admonition, and each is explained as three parts in turn, though the passage on setting-aside is abbreviated there, and the "Skillful Means" prose passage matches the persuasion but not the admonition, while its passage on the resting of the transforming activity is extensive; in the verses, only the admonition is versified, not the persuasion, nor is the resting of the transforming activity versified there either — every one of these appears and vanishes by turns. In the "Burning House" prose, the admonition, the persuasion, and their explanation each have three parts, and here they are all matched together at once. "He at once sent his attendants to run quickly and seize him" matches the contemplating of fitness within the gate of persuasion above; "the destitute son, startled and alarmed" matches the absence of capacity within the gate of persuasion above; "dragged him back by force" matches the contemplating of fitness within the gate of admonition above; from "the destitute son, thinking himself innocent of any wrong" through "fainted, falling to the ground" matches the absence of capacity within the gate of admonition above; and from "the father, seeing this from a distance" onward together matches the resting of the transforming activity in both the persuasion and the admonition — this reaches for the Buddha's own intention: though, within the gate of persuasion, he had contemplated its fitness and found no capacity for it, his intention had still not come to rest, and he made a further contemplation of fitness within the gate of admonition; only when this, too, proved unavoidable to abandon, did he then let the transforming activity come to rest. As for "sent his attendants": this is the first contemplation of fitness within the gate of persuasion — wisdom is that which sends, and the teaching is that which is sent; the meaning of principle is primary, and the meaning of the teaching is secondary. From the Buddha there issue the twelve divisions of Mahāyāna scripture, contemplating their fitness for sentient beings, yet, there being no capacity for them, they are not received — this being, for them, like milk — and hence it is said, "sent his attendants." Furthermore, "attendants" means subordinate ministers and aides, that is, the dharma-body bodhisattvas sent to expound the Great Vehicle — as in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, where the four bodhisattvas are made to expound the forty grounds — this too is precisely "sending his attendants." As for "ran quickly and seized him": the meaning the Great Vehicle makes clear is open, manifest, upright, and direct, using this to reach capacity swiftly and hasten toward bodhi — hence, within the great cart, it is said that "it runs as swift as the wind"; and if the bodhisattvas are taken as the attendants, then the bodhisattvas, possessing spiritual power of their own, and, moreover, empowered by the Buddha besides, are likewise able to cause that one to enter bodhi swiftly.

"The destitute son, startled and alarmed" is precisely the absence of capacity within the gate of persuasion. Once the absence of capacity has been made manifest, then, even had he formerly given rise to the intention long ago, it has been abandoned for so long that he no longer recalls it, and, suddenly hearing the great teaching, he is startled because it goes against his own mind, and alarmed because he does not recognize it. As for "cried out in protest": the Lesser Vehicle takes affliction to be its enemy and birth-and-death to be suffering — if persuaded that affliction is itself bodhi, he cries out loudly in protest at this wrong; if he hears that birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa, he cries out loudly in pain. This — the absence of capacity, unable to accept it — belongs to the gate of persuasion. As for "I have done nothing against you": I have sought nothing from you — why, then, use the great to transform me against my will? This matches the two senses of the gate of persuasion, but does not yet match the resting of the transforming activity. Next, called a second time yet not coming, "held him only more tightly" matches the contemplation of fitness within the gate of admonition: what was earlier made clear as persuasion toward the good still allowed for some leeway, but "I shall now speak to him of things to be feared" — this is precisely urgency. And though "dragged him back by force" admonishes with harsh words to make him keep his distance from evil, since inwardly there is no capacity for it, while outwardly the great transformation presses upon him, this is precisely "dragged him back by force." As for "thinking himself innocent of any wrong": this matches the not accepting within the gate of admonition. "Wrong" here means compassion — sentient beings, because of their wrongdoing, enter the prison of birth-and-death, while bodhisattvas, sharing that same "wrongdoing," likewise enter that prison; the practitioners of the two lesser vehicles, lacking great compassion, are named "without wrongdoing." To be made to enter birth-and-death is precisely to be seized and held captive; to enter birth-and-death without the great skillful means must, in the end, mean the eternal loss of the life-breath of wisdom belonging to the three vehicles — hence it is said, "he would surely be put to death." Reflecting on all this, it is said, "grew all the more terrified." Forced upon by the great teaching, his lesser wisdom cannot comprehend it — hence it is said, "fainted." Giving rise at once to slander, he must fall into the three lower paths —

— hence it is said, "fell to the ground," which is also sunk in the very ground of ignorance, confused and distressed. From "the father, seeing this from a distance" onward is precisely the third: setting aside the persuasion and admonition, and letting the Mahāyāna transforming activity come to rest. This falls into four: first, reflecting on letting the transformation rest; second, explaining the resting of the transformation; third, the transformation actually coming to rest; and fourth, the resting of the transformation proving fitting. The first has two senses: first, knowing that the resolve toward the great is weak; second, knowing that the resolve toward the lesser is strong. As for "the father, seeing this from a distance": the lesser is far removed from the great — hence "from a distance"; and, being the son with whom karmic affinity was formed, it is said, "seeing." As for "and said to his messengers": read in terms of the teaching, the "messenger" is this — wisdom is what originally expounds the teaching; when wisdom knows there is no capacity for it, wisdom itself comes to rest, and so the teaching, too, comes to rest. Read in terms of persons, the "messenger" is this — telling the bodhisattvas that there is no need to manifest their honored, wondrous bodies for the two lesser vehicles to see; as in the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, "gather in the fragrance of your body, lest it give rise to confusion and attachment in those sentient beings," and as when Samantabhadra entered this Sahā world and drew in his body to make it small — both carry this same sense. As for "do not force him to come": there being as yet no capacity for the great, he fears harming the son's own wholesome roots — hence, "do not force him." My own view is that "I have no need of this man" is reflecting on resting the contemplation of fitness within the gate of persuasion, while "do not force him to come" is reflecting on resting the contemplation of fitness within the gate of admonition.

As for "sprinkle cold water on his face": this is, second, knowing that he has the lesser resolve, and it is fitting to use the water of the principle of ashes-and-cessation to remove the heat of views and thought. As for "face": to be wearied of birth-and-death is called "the back," and to turn toward nirvāṇa is like "the face." As for "come to his senses": this is opening the lesser to meet his capacity, so that he may gain release from his distress and awaken to the four noble truths. As for "say nothing further to him": this is the settled decision that the Mahāyāna teaching should be allowed to rest. From "why is this" onward is, second, explaining the intention behind resting the transformation: it is precisely that, being wearied of suffering and delighting in emptiness, drawing close to what is base and low, and lacking a compassionate mind, he dreads and finds difficulty in the great Dharma — and so, for the time being, his lesser resolve is simply left as it is, though this goes against the Buddha's own original intent, and this is why the transformation is made to rest. Knowing for certain that, at the assembly of the twenty thousand million buddhas, he had once given rise to the mind of the path, it is not that he altogether lacks the great capacity — it is only that, for the time being, the great transformation is set to rest, the Buddha's own intention not yet finished, but awaiting some later occasion still. As for "did not tell anyone else": within the Lesser Vehicle teaching of the past, speaking according to others' own intent, he covered and protected this by skillful means, calling him a śrāvaka, and did not speak according to his own intent, saying that he was a bodhisattva. From "the messengers said to him" onward is, third, directly making clear the resting of the transformation. "I now release you" is precisely knowing that the great capacity is weak; "go wherever you wish" is precisely knowing that the lesser good is strong — it is by these two conditions that the great transformation is made to rest. From "the destitute son, overjoyed" onward is, fourth, precisely the resting of the transformation proving fitting to his capacity: not being pressed by the great teaching, he is therefore "overjoyed"; free from the grave offense of slandering the great, and thereby spared the three lower paths, it is said, "from the ground"; and a lesser good having arisen within him, it is said, "and rose up." Furthermore, earlier, contemplating the fitness of the great Dharma, he lay confused and uncomprehending upon the ground of ignorance; now, met instead with the lesser, he is able to come to his senses — hence it is said, "rose up from the ground." Wishing to seek the path within the four noble truths, it is said, "went off to a poor quarter to seek clothing and food"; or, seeking the path amid the four mistaken views, it is said, "poor quarter."

"Wishing to draw his son onward" onward is the secret sending of the two men to entice him. This falls into two: first, matching what is common to the teaching — near at hand, matching the three carts that save the children; far off, matching the offering of the provisional at Vārāṇasī; next, from "and on another day" onward, matching by way of intent — matching the dharma-body's stage, which has long since illuminated skillful means, and was not first awakened to the use of the lesser beneath the tree of enlightenment, but had discerned sentient beings long before, bringing about the difficulty of the honored and exalted one drawing close in soiled clothing — hence this reaches back to match what came before, so as to bring the present understanding to completion.

Question: by what means were the four great disciples able to know that the dharma-body had illuminated beings for so long?

Answer: one infers the distant from the near. If it were only beneath the tree of enlightenment that he first came to know there was no great capacity for it, then he ought not to have descended in spirit from Tuṣita, entrusted himself in the womb with correct wisdom, and even manifested as having affliction, taken a consort, and had a son, only severing every fetter in the thirty-fourth thought-moment of his final life — from this one can verify that his casting off the ocean of marks, great and small, subtle and wondrous, and putting on instead the coarse, worn, soiled robes of the sixteen-foot body, must already have been of long standing.

Here, first, the matching of what is common to the teaching is explained. As for the matching: the text of the "Parable" chapter has four parts — first, using skillful means to contemplate fitness; second, knowing his prior intent; third, praising the three carts; and fourth, having his own wish fulfilled — and "Skillful Means" likewise has four. The matching here, too, has four parts: from "wishing to draw his son onward" onward matches the contemplating of fitness above. "The two messengers then went to find the destitute son, and, having found him," matches knowing the son's prior intent, that he had a capacity for it, above. "Told him everything just as instructed" matches praising the rarity of the three carts above. From "the destitute son first took his wage" onward matches having his wish fulfilled and racing out of the burning house, above. First, as for "wishing to draw his son onward": since the great transformation had already been set to rest, yet it was unbearable simply to abandon him, he wished to devise a skillful means — hence it is said, "wishing to." As for "secretly sent two men": the four disciples, each receiving a share of the matching in common with themselves, without touching upon the bodhisattvas, and hence it is said, "two men." Read in terms of the Dharma, this is the four noble truths of causes and conditions; read in terms of principle, this is the conventional and the ultimate as constructed things; read in terms of persons, this is the śrāvaka and the pratyekabuddha. Earlier, in contemplating the Great Vehicle, it was said, "secretly sent his attendants," standing for the one truth of reality, the one Mahāyāna teaching, and the one bodhisattva person; here, making clear the skillful means, concealing the real is "secretly," and pointing to the one-sided real is "sent." Read in terms of the teaching, concealing the full-word teaching is "secretly," and pointing to the half-word teaching is "sent." Read in terms of persons, inwardly concealing the bodhisattva practice is "secretly," and outwardly manifesting as a śrāvaka is "sent." As for "appearance": within the teaching of the two lesser vehicles, the excellent marks are not cultivated, but only suffering, impermanence, and impurity are taught — this is precisely "haggard in appearance." Read in terms of persons, this means the bodhisattvas conceal their own true color and display instead a trace-form. This is not the teaching of ultimate meaning, and is without the ten powers or the fearlessnesses — hence it is named "without any air of authority." As for "go to him": this is precisely gauging the lesser capacity by the lesser teaching. The Great Teaching makes its principle plain and direct — hence it is said, "ran quickly and seized him"; the Lesser Teaching makes its principle roundabout and hidden — hence it is said, "spoke gently." As for "there is work to be had here": the paths of seeing and of cultivation are precisely the place where affliction is severed and work is done.

As for "paying double your usual wage": the five precepts and the ten wholesome deeds only halt one from the three lower paths, while the four noble truths and the twelve links of dependent origination, now taught, are able to bring one out of birth-and-death altogether — this is the "one" doubling; and, further, the six practices of the non-Buddhist paths are able only to suppress affliction, while now cultivating the four noble truths is able to sever affliction and reach nirvāṇa — this is the "second" doubling. As for "if the destitute son agrees": having the capacity is "agreeing," whereupon the teaching is set forth; lacking the capacity is "not agreeing," whereupon the teaching is not set forth. As for "what work is it": the two lesser vehicles wish only to remove affliction and attain realization, and do not speak of purifying buddha-lands and bringing beings to maturity. This is why it is said, "we would hire you to clear away dung; the two of us will work alongside you as well" — the two lesser vehicles, being of dull faculties, must rely on the teaching and practice upon practice before they are able to cultivate their task; read in terms of principle, this is precisely wisdom and truth mutually sustaining one another; read in terms of persons, this is precisely the provisional person cultivating practice together with the real person. As for "the two messengers then went to find the destitute son": this is, second, ascertaining for certain that there is a capacity for it — hence it is said, "having found him," matching knowing his prior intent, above. From "told him everything just as instructed" onward is, third, telling him of the hire — matching praising the three carts, above: clearing away the dung of suffering and its origin, and receiving the wage of cessation and the path. From "the destitute son first took his wage, and set at once to clearing away dung" onward is, fourth — setting at once to the work — matching having his wish fulfilled and racing out of the burning house, above; the two lesser vehicles, longing for the fruit, practice the cause, and this is why they take the wage first. As for "his father, seeing his son, felt pity for him, though also puzzlement": the puzzlement is at his not seeking the buddha-path, and the pity is at his taking up arhatship instead — what he loses is great, and what he gains is slight, and hence it is said, "puzzlement." Reaching this point, the matching of the sense within the dharma-teaching and the parable comes to its end. From "and on another day" onward is, second, matching by way of intent: his numinous wisdom, illuminating things beforehand, had long since devised this provisional stratagem, pursuing him through every difficulty — it was not only beneath the tree that he first came to see the causes and conditions — as already explained above. This text falls into four: first, "and on another day" matches, by way of intent, his having long used provisional wisdom, wishing all along to contemplate fitness; second, seeing the son thin and haggard is his having long known that skillful means were what the son delighted in; third, removing his fine robes and putting on coarse ones matches his having long known that the three carts must be praised; and fourth, personally teaching the son to work matches his having long known that the wish would be fulfilled and accepted in practice — here, first. As for "and": this is a word of solemn emphasis. Wishing to match, by way of intent, the dharma-body's own stage, which had long known the great and lesser capacities and their transformation, restating the Buddha's own intention, the section heading is therefore marked "and."

As for "another day": the two lesser vehicles themselves suppose that skillful means belong to themselves, while what is not the dharma of the two lesser vehicles is "other" — this refers precisely to what is contemplated at the level of the dharma-body.

As for "day": this means time, and also means wisdom — depending on the time proper to the dharma-body, wisdom is used to illuminate the capacity, and hence it is called "another day." Taken in this sense, true wisdom illuminating the true is "self," and provisional wisdom illuminating the provisional means is "other." Matching what is common to the teaching, matching the transformation-body's exercise of its function is "his own day," while what is not the transformation-body's exercise of its function is "another day." Taken from the standpoint of the Tathāgata, the wisdom of the provisional and the real that he practices for himself is all named "self," while the illumination of the provisional and the real by which the Tathāgata transforms others is all named "other." Within the Tathāgata's own illumination of the provisional and the real, for self and for other alike, illuminating the real is "self," and illuminating the provisional is "other." This present exploration, matching the time proper to the dharma-body, uses the provisional wisdom that transforms others, illuminating whether the provisional capacity exists or not, and illuminating whether the provisional matter is fitting or not — all of this is illuminated by provisional wisdom, and hence it is called "another day."

Taken in this sense, matching what is common to the teaching matches the provisional matter of transforming others, and so the two lesser vehicles call this their own matter; matching by way of intent matches the provisional wisdom belonging both to self and to other, and this provisional wisdom is not a matter of the two lesser vehicles, and so it is called "other." Though there are these two senses, in either case "another day" is established; here, following what the two lesser vehicles themselves match, and, further, following the text's own wording of "another day," this is taken as matching by way of intent, matching the illumination of capacity within the dharma-body. As for "window": a one-sided view is small, standing for provisional wisdom illuminating that one-sided capacity. As for "from a distance": the lesser is far removed from the great, and hence it is called "from a distance." As for "seeing his son": having in the past planted the seed of the great, he is called "son," and, gauging him by the great, it is said, "seeing." The window being narrow and one-sided, it was not yet fitting to the great transformation — hence the great was set to rest and the lesser offered instead. From "thin and haggard" onward is, second, matching his having long known that the son delighted in something lesser. Little strength of wisdom in cultivating the cause is "thin"; little strength of merit in cultivating the cause is "haggard"; inward dread of impermanence is "gaunt"; and outward encounter with the eight sufferings is "wasted." The four abodes of affliction are "dung and filth," and ignorance is "clinging dust." From "he at once removed his own necklace" onward is, third, matching his having long known that the three carts must be praised for their rarity. Removing his fine robes is a metaphor for concealing the immeasurable merit of the reward-body. The morality, concentration, wisdom, and dhāraṇī of the forty-two grounds are the "necklace"; the forbearance of quiescent cessation is the "fine, soft upper robe"; and the ocean of marks, great and small, is "every adornment." Were his countenance and dress too resplendent, the son would be startled and afraid — the two lesser vehicles are not fit to see these excellent marks, and this is why he removes them. As for "put on instead coarse, worn clothing": manifesting the sixteen-foot form is "coarse," and the forbearance regarding sentient beings and the forbearance regarding the Dharma are "worn." As for "covering his body with dust": manifesting as though possessed of affliction is conditioned and contaminated. From "took up an implement for clearing dung" onward treats only of the contaminated dharmas of views and thought, and does not speak of the pure wisdom of the various grounds. The left hand is a metaphor for the real, and the right hand for the provisional — the provisional being convenient and easy to use, he himself, by this same dharma, severed every fetter and accomplished buddhahood, and now uses this same dharma to transform others. As for "appearing as one who might be feared": this shows him sharing the same dread of birth-and-death, and also the retributions of the cold wind and the horse-fodder. From "he said to the workers" onward is, fourth, the parable of personally teaching the son to work — this is precisely the seven groups of the factors of the path, used to display the mark of clearing away dung, matching "each of the children grew bold and eager, pushing past one another, competing, together, racing to run, competing to be first out of the burning house," above. First, the parable of speaking to the workers is a parable for the four foundations of mindfulness, the stage of the ordinary worldling at the outer stage; second, the parable of urging diligent work, without growing lax, is a parable for the four right exertions; third, "ah, good man," and not going elsewhere, is a parable for the four bases of supernormal power; fourth, from "set your mind at ease" onward, named the parable of consolation, is a parable for the five faculties; fifth, from "why is this" onward, named the parable of being without the five faults, is a parable for the five powers. These first four sections are the second, the stage of the ordinary worldling at the inner stage. Sixth, the elder at once giving him a new name and calling him his own child is a parable for the eightfold path. Seventh, from "though he rejoiced at this treatment" onward, named the parable of teaching him to be constantly set to clearing dung, is a parable for the seven factors of enlightenment. These last two sections are the third, the stage of the noble one.

Here, first, "he said to the workers" is precisely teaching the Tripiṭaka teaching and showing the four foundations of mindfulness, these being the implement for clearing away dung, the very object upon which affliction is severed. The Sūtra of the Buddha's Final Teaching says, "constantly relying on the practice of the foundations of mindfulness in walking the path, one is able to break the four inversions" — this matches "his wish fulfilled, each grew bold and eager," within the burning house, above, this being precisely the wisdom born of hearing.

Second, as for "do not grow lax": this is precisely making him diligently cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness — should laxness arise, he could neither extinguish the two evils nor give rise to the two goods, and it is by these two forms of diligence that the fire of heat is kindled; this matches "pushing past one another," within the burning house, and is precisely entering the stage of heat within the wisdom born of cultivation. As for "by this skillful means he was able to draw near to his son": before the foundations of mindfulness have attained the principle's fire to warm the mind, one remains too distant and outside to draw near; only once heat is first attained by skillful means can one draw near.

Third, as for "ah, good man": "ah" is an exclamation of startled awakening, and also a word of reproach and reckoning. Within the right exertions above, the agitated stirring is precisely the dharma of wisdom, likened to the male, of yang nature; the bases of supernormal power are the dharma of concentration, likened to the female, of yin nature. It is precisely because the striving stirred up by the right exertions cannot yet accord with the truth that this "ah" of startled reproach and reckoning is spoken, so as to make him set aside agitation and enter stillness — hence, "ah, good man." As for "you may work here always; there is no need to go elsewhere": the stirring of the foundations of mindfulness and the right exertions is not single-minded, and hence is not named "constant"; but within the four bases of supernormal power, concentration does not vary its object — where there is reflection there is concentration, and where there is reflection there is severance — and, concentration and severance being single-minded, this is "constant"; and, being free of agitated stirring, this is "there is no need to go elsewhere." This still lies within "pushing past one another," and is precisely the stage of summit.

As for "I shall raise your wage": within the contemplation of the meditative object at the stage of heat, the true cannot yet be brought forth, while within the contemplation of the bases of supernormal power, the undefiled can be brought forth — hence it is said, "raise your wage." As for "whatever you need": both contaminated and uncontaminated wholesome dharmas, whether aiding the path or the correct path itself, are all to be sought from the contemplation of the bases of supernormal power — whatever is wanted is at once obtained. The four dhyānas, their substance containing every branch and limb, are like the basin and the vessel; the emptiness of the person, coarse, is like rice; the emptiness of dharmas, fine, is like flour — this is precisely the correct path. The sixteen forms of contemplation beneath the four noble truths — impermanence like salt, suffering like vinegar — this is precisely the aiding path. Just as rice and flour are hard to eat without being seasoned with salt and vinegar, so the correct path is hard to make manifest without the aiding path to assist it. As for "do not hesitate to ask": this concludes the correct path and the aiding path together, above — since this is certainly to be found within the contemplation of the bases of supernormal power, he is made not to doubt it; being certain that it can be accomplished, he is to regard it as though it were already his own — hence, "do not hesitate." As for "there are old and worn-out servants here as well": if one wished to draw directly on the spiritual powers to stand in place of hand and foot, as one might drive and employ a servant, then, within the contemplation of the bases of supernormal power, this same power exists as well, only weak and feeble, its case resembling that of the old and worn-out — though not young and vigorous, it can still be put to use; and, further, seeking the principle by the correct path, when the correct path is weak and not yet able to bring forth the true, one must have recourse to the aiding path — the nine contemplations, the ten contemplations, the eight forms of liberation through renunciation, and the rest. As for "servants to aid the work": within the contemplation of the bases of supernormal power, this same dharma exists as well; once the aiding path is able to assist the correct path, this becomes what is called "one who is freed together with another."

Fourth, as for "set your mind at ease": this is attaining the five faculties, settled firm and hard to destroy. As for "I am like a father to you": forbearance and understanding, drawing near to the true, resemble it in likeness but are not yet real — hence it is said, "like a father," and also "like a son." As for "have no more worry": this is making his mind settled, breaking through views and thought.

Fifth, as for "I am old and advanced in years, and you are young and strong": the Buddha, having reached the end of the path, already possesses wisdom and severance — hence, "old and advanced"; you, standing only at the beginning of the path, do not yet possess wisdom and severance — hence, "young and strong." This is precisely the stage of forbearance. As for being "without the five faults": this is attaining the five powers and thereby being free of the five evil dharmas. Through the power of faith, one does not deceive; through the power of diligence, one does not grow lazy; through the power of mindfulness, one does not harbor anger; through the power of concentration, one does not resent; and through the power of wisdom, one does not speak with ill will. As for "my other workers": at the furthest remove, this points to the followers of the outside paths, who seek the principle through every kind of view, and are named "other workers"; at the nearer remove, it points to the four stages of heat and the rest, not yet free of the five faults, likewise named "other workers." This present text, being without the five faults, is precisely the five powers. As for "from now on, you shall be to me like my own son": within the lower grade of forbearance, the sixteen instants still stretch out a long while; within the middle grade of forbearance, though the contemplation is compressed, it is not yet a single instant; but within the highest grade of forbearance, the very last single instant of the mundane world, the mind draws near to the true and presses close upon the noble — hence this stage is named "like my own son," this being precisely the stage of supreme mundane dharma.

Sixth, as for "the elder at once gave him a new name, calling him his own child": this is attaining the eightfold path and entering the path of seeing, competing, together, racing to run — hence it is said, "calling him his own child." Supreme mundane dharma is not far removed from the true — hence, "at once." The Āgamas speak of five kinds of children of the Buddha: the four fruits and the pratyekabuddha are named the true children of the Buddha, while the bodhisattva, not having severed every fetter, has not yet fully accomplished the sense of "child." From "at that time, though the destitute son rejoiced at this treatment" onward is, seventh, the parable of being constantly set to hired labor. Though the parable calls him a "child," his reflection is not yet complete, and he still dwells at the stage of the trainee, not yet free of all difficulty — hence, for twenty years, he is constantly set to clearing away dung, and, moreover, knows of himself that he is not fit to inherit the great — this is precisely practicing according to the teaching so as to exhaust suffering, and nothing more — hence it is said, "he still thought of himself as a lowly hired hand." Were he, having attained the first fruit, to grow weary of the lesser and delight in the great, the great capacity thereby stirred, he ought at once to be given the Great Vehicle, with no further need to sever his remaining fetters one by one — but it is precisely because he has not relinquished his lesser resolve that the great capacity does not stir, and this is why he is, for the time being, made to exhaust the contaminants according to the teaching — hence it is said, "and this is why, for twenty years, he was constantly set to clearing away dung." As for "twenty years": the seeing of the truths is one path of liberation and one of no obstruction; reflection is nine paths of no obstruction and nine of liberation — hence it is said, "twenty years." Some also say that severing the fetters within the two paths of seeing and of thought is named "twenty years." Some say the five lower fetters and the five higher fetters make "twenty years." Some say that this is named for severing the afflictions of thought still remaining within the teaching of the two lesser vehicles. And some say that, in dependence on the two messengers, severing the remaining fetters together with them, this is named "twenty years." From having the capacity for the two lesser vehicles onward, coming to be moved by the Buddha, it is said, "it has been twenty years since I first saw my son"; and if he dwells within the station of the two lesser vehicles while the Mahāyāna teaching is being relayed to him, this is named "managing the affairs of the household for twenty years." Though "twenty" is spoken of in the same way each time, each carries its own particular sense; and this single phrase points precisely to the stage of racing to be first out of the burning house of the three realms.

"After this had passed" onward is, fourth, the parable of entrusting him with the household, matching, near at hand, the equal bestowal of the great cart within the burning house; and, far off, matching the unsurpassed path within the dharma-teaching. This falls into two: first, entrusting; second, bestowing. Each, again, falls into two, together matching the four senses within the burning house's equal bestowal of the cart — which are also the four senses of revealing the real, within "Skillful Means." The first section's two points: first, mutual trust of heart, matching escape from danger above; second, entrusting him with the household, gradually opening him into ease and bringing his great resolve to completion, matching asking for the cart above. The second section's two points: first, bestowing the household, matching the equal bestowal of the great cart above; second, joy at receiving the bestowal, matching the joy at receiving the cart above. Because there was mutual trust of heart, he came to be entrusted with the household; the household having been made thoroughly familiar, his knowledge and vision complete, his great resolve thereby came to completion; because his intention had opened into ease, he came to be bestowed with the household; and because he was bestowed with the household, he was thereby joyful. Since this involves both the distant and the near — had he not first been taught to labor for hire and given a single day's wage, how could mutual trust, entrustment with the household, and the bestowal of wealth ever have come about? Read within, this matches his severing the fetters through the Tripiṭaka teaching, being fit to hear the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra alongside the rest, receiving the rebuke of the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, and having the Prajñāpāramitā relayed to him — and it is by this that the bestowal of wealth comes about. One should understand that laboring for hire and taking the wage is precisely the distant cause, while mutual trust and being entrusted with the household is precisely the near cause. Furthermore, within the earlier parable of enticement, there was both the matching of what is common to the teaching, running from beneath the tree of enlightenment through to coming out of the house, and the matching by way of intent, running from the dharma-body through to the exhaustion of reflection. Here, too, the matching is twofold: beginning with matching by way of intent, the four stages of compassion ripening the son, and ending with matching the final bestowal of wealth, the ultimate single flavor — near and far, beginning and end together, discussed in terms of the five flavors. Why is this?

He first sent his attendants — what the attendants expound is likened to the perfect and sudden teaching of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, this being the very first of the teachings; the attendant is likened to the cow, and what he expounds is likened to milk. Read within, this matches the twelve divisions of scripture issuing from the Buddha — this being precisely the first flavor; gauging the two lesser vehicles by this, lacking the capacity, they do not receive it, and are confused and distressed, falling to the ground — for them, this is entirely like the flavor of raw milk. Next, making clear the secret sending of the two men to teach the dharma of clearing dung — this is likened to, after the great is set to rest, the teaching of the three at the Deer Park, where, for the lesser, one is transformed from an ordinary being into a noble one through faith, like the turning of milk into cream. Read within, this matches the sūtras issuing from the twelve divisions of scripture — this being precisely the second flavor. Next, making clear mutual trust of heart, entering and leaving without difficulty — this is likened to, after the Tripiṭaka teaching, the teaching of the Vaipulya period, the Vimalakīrti Sūtra extolling the great and rebuking the small, where the two lesser vehicles, hearing the great, do not slander it, and, rebuked for the small, do not retreat from it — precisely because, having severed their fetters through the Tripiṭaka teaching and taken the wage of a single day, they can now be indulged in this praise and rebuke; had they not yet severed their fetters, they could not have borne to hear the great extolled, just as, before, they could not accept the gate of persuasion, nor could they have borne to hear the small rebuked, just as, before, they could not accept the gate of admonition — but that they now neither slander nor retreat is precisely because of this mutual trust of heart. Having personally realized the lesser, they trust that the great is not false; having attained the wage of nirvāṇa, they accept the rebuke without resentment; and, though this is not their own affair, they harbor no doubt or slander regarding it — this mind having grown ripe and mellow, like fresh butter coming forth from cream. Read within, this matches the Vaipulya sūtras issuing from the sūtras — this being precisely the third flavor. Next, making clear, from "the elder, knowing for himself that he would not live much longer" onward, that this is likened to, after the Vaipulya period's mutual trust of heart, entering and leaving without difficulty, his being entrusted with the household — having him receive the teaching and expound the Great Perfection of Wisdom for the great bodhisattvas; once he has received and come to know all these things, threading through and mastering every gate of the Dharma, his mind grown clear and his speech eloquent, his own longing and delight only increase, though he still regrets that dwelling in the lesser is not his own proper portion — were this restriction only to be lifted and permission granted, would this not be a joy indeed? And so his mind gradually opens into ease, and his great resolve comes to completion, like refined butter coming forth from fresh butter — this being the Great Perfection of Wisdom issuing from the Vaipulya period, precisely the fourth flavor. Next, as for "when the time of his death drew near, he commanded his son": this is likened to, after the Prajñāpāramitā period, the settling once for all of the natural bond of father and son, the merging of the three into the one, the bestowal of wealth and the conferral of the prediction, the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra — opening the Buddha's own knowledge and vision, and showing the mark of true reality, the bodhisattvas' doubt removed, the śrāvakas becoming buddhas, all alike brought to the very extinction of the Tathāgata himself, like ghee coming forth from refined butter — this being the great nirvāṇa issuing from the Great Perfection of Wisdom, precisely the fifth flavor. The four great disciples, having deeply grasped the Buddha's own intention, reach by way of intent for the teaching of the five flavors within this one process of transformation, in their proper order from beginning to end — this text emerges from just that.

The text on matching the entrustment of the household falls into two: first, mutual trust of heart; second, being commanded to oversee the household affairs. Within mutual trust of heart there are, again, two: first, making clear this mutual trust; second, that he still remains in his former station. First, here, "trust" means mutual trust on both sides: within the Tripiṭaka teaching, having attained the wage of nirvāṇa, this was already no falsehood, and now, having the Great Vehicle expounded for the bodhisattvas, this likewise is no falsehood — this is precisely the son trusting the father. The Buddha, knowing that these disciples have already severed views and thought, knows they will surely not slander what they hear; and, their undefiled faculties being sharp, hearing even a little gives rise to faith — this is precisely the father trusting the son. By this, seeing the honored, exalted body and hearing the Mahāyāna teaching is named "entering"; and being further rebuked and corrected, still seeing the sixteen-foot body expound the Lesser Vehicle teaching, is named "leaving" — entering and leaving, great and small, without any doubt or difficulty. Second, as for "yet he still remained dwelling in the same place as before": though he now enters and leaves without difficulty and hears the Great Vehicle, he still supposes this to be the bodhisattvas' own affair, no part of his own portion of wisdom, and is unwilling to turn from the lesser toward the great, still dwelling as an arhat, not yet saying that he shall attain buddhahood in the future — this matches the teaching of the Mahāsaṃnipāta and Vimalakīrti sūtras, the flavor of fresh butter. From "World-Honored One, at that time the elder fell ill" onward is, second, entrusting him with the household — this matches the teaching of the Great Perfection of Wisdom, where the Buddha commands the relay-teaching to be given, the flavor of refined butter. This falls into two: first, commanding him to know the affairs of the household; second, receiving the command and coming to oversee it. Each of these two sections has, again, four parts.

The first four are: first, making clear the season; second, directly commanding him to know the affairs of the household; third, admonishing him to embody the Buddha's own mind; and fourth, commanding him to let nothing be lost or wasted. First, as for "he would not live much longer": where there is capacity, a response ought to arise for the sake of life; once the capacity is exhausted, the response ought to withdraw, and this is "death." Now, the capacity for transformation being nearly exhausted, the withdrawal of the response will not be long delayed. From "he said to the destitute son, 'I now have great stores'" onward is, second, commanding him to know the affairs of the household. "Gold" is precisely the principle of the distinct teaching, and "silver" is precisely the principle of the shared teaching — the ultimate truth made clear in the Great Perfection of Wisdom does not go beyond these two; and as for saying "great stores," the principle itself is not many, but, considered through its various approaches, it too may be called "many" — just as emptiness is not eighteenfold in itself, yet, considered in terms of the eighteen dharmas it breaks through, it is named "the eighteen emptinesses." Within "Encouragement to Study" it is made clear that every gate of the Dharma is itself a treasure.

The "granary" is the gate of concentration, that is, the hundred and eight samādhis; the "storehouse" is the gate of wisdom, the domain of the eighteen emptinesses. The two kinds of concentration and wisdom, shared and distinct, granary and storehouse, contain within them every meditative concentration and wisdom, wanting for nothing, filled within and overflowing without — hence it is said, "filled to overflowing." As for "how much there is": in expounding the Prajñāpāramitā, there are the two approaches, the extensive and the abbreviated. The bodhisattva, practicing the Prajñāpāramitā, ought to know both the abbreviated and the extensive aspects — the abbreviated being "little," and the extensive being "much"; practicing for himself is "taking," and transforming others is "giving."

Within the Great Perfection of Wisdom it is said, "you should expound this for the bodhisattvas" — hence it is said, "you now know all of this in full." From "understand well what is in my heart" onward is, third, the admonition to embody it. As for "my heart": the Buddha takes the Prajñāpāramitā as his heart — you, now transmitting the lamp, should speak in accordance with the Buddha's own intent. Furthermore, the two lesser vehicles originally understand emptiness only as the emptiness reached through analysis; commanding him to embody this very intent means commanding him to relay the teaching, using this admonition to make him identical with my own embodiment of the emptiness inherent in things themselves. In times past, when commanded, he supposed this to be transmitting the lamp on another's behalf; now, at last, he comes to know that the Buddha is making him recognize the very gate of embodiment itself — hence it is said, "understand well what is in my heart." As for "now you and I are truly no different": this explanation has three parts: first, being empowered to speak, he is made no different from the Buddha; second, in terms of principle, since every dharma is thus-suchness, no difference is thereby obtained — Subhūti's thus-suchness and the Tathāgata's thus-suchness are one single thus-suchness, with no second thus-suchness — hence it is said, "truly no different"; and third, in terms of the present moment, he first awakens to the fact that the natural bond of father and son was never, from the start, any different at all, though the practitioners of the two lesser vehicles themselves had supposed that this sameness came only through being empowered. From "you should apply your mind carefully" onward is, fourth, the command that nothing be lost or wasted. You are to expound the Prajñāpāramitā teaching for the bodhisattvas and let nothing be lost; and, second, in terms of principle, this is precisely your own dharma, to be put to use in time to come — hence, let nothing be lost or wasted. From "he at once received this instruction" onward is, second, receiving the command. This, too, falls into four: first, directly receiving the command and coming to oversee it; second, having no desire to take anything for himself — Subhūti, though expounding the Prajñāpāramitā, considers himself to have no portion in it; third, "not yet having set aside his lowly mind, he still remained in his former station" — dwelling in the station of the arhat, though he now longs for the great, he does not yet say with certainty that he wishes to become a bodhisattva; "not yet having set aside his base and lowly mind" means that, though he is now ashamed of the lesser, he does not yet say with certainty that he has relinquished his realization of the lesser; and fourth, from "after some further time had passed, the father saw that his son's mind" onward, this matches asking for the cart above, despising and casting off his former mind and wishing to seek the great path, the great capacity now stirred.

Question: what time is meant by "some further time"?

Answer: one view says that, once the exposition of the Prajñāpāramitā was complete, wandering and observing in some other place, he reflected on the Mahāyāna teaching he had come to oversee, and a mind of longing and delight arose within him — whether this would be lost, or not lost — and it is this very reflection that is precisely the moment the great capacity stirs. This time is not far removed from the Lotus Sūtra — hence it is called "some further time." Another view holds that the great capacity stirred at the time of the expounding of the Sūtra of Immeasurable Meanings. How can this be known? Within the Sūtra of Immeasurable Meanings it is made clear that the seven kinds of skillful means, immeasurable and gradual or sudden, all issue from the one dharma. Having heard this teaching, he reflected that the three vehicles of the Tripiṭaka teaching in times past had likewise all issued from the one dharma, and that these same three vehicles ought likewise to enter into the one — and, reflecting in this way, his mind gradually opened into ease, and the great mind at once stirred — hence it is said, "his great resolve came to completion."

"When the time of his death drew near" onward is, second, the direct bestowal of the household. This, too, falls into two: first, bestowing the household; second, joy. The first has four parts: first, the time of the bestowal; second, summoning his son and gathering the assembly as witness; third, the settling of father and son together; and fourth, the direct bestowal of the household. First, as for the time of the bestowal: "when the time of his death drew near" makes clear the season — the conditions for his transformative work nearing their end, this is the time, at Vulture Peak, in the eighth year of teaching the Lotus Sūtra, when he proclaims his entry into nirvāṇa.

From "and commanded his son" onward is, second, the gathering of the assembly — this is precisely the multitude transformed at the assembly of the twenty thousand million buddhas, here named "sons," those of ripened great capacity gathering like clouds from the ten directions — this is the "fourfold assembly surrounding him," spoken of above. As for "and gathered together his relatives": the ancients said that the emanation-bodies are likened to relatives, the tenth ground to the king, the ninth ground to the great ministers, the eighth ground to the warrior-nobles, and the seventh ground to the householders. Northern masters take the emanation-bodies as the relatives, Prabhūtaratna as the king, the tenth ground as the great ministers, the eighth ground as the warrior-nobles, and the thirty preliminary stages of mind as the householders. But if this is so, then, in the teaching of the trace gate, neither the emanation-bodies nor Prabhūtaratna have yet appeared — how, then, could this passage be pointing to them? They explain this by saying that this is precisely the very time of Śāriputra's own lingering doubt, when he had not yet been able to give rise to faith within the Lotus Sūtra, and this is why Prabhūtaratna and the emanation-bodies come at once to bear witness. But if his doubt is already removed, and faith and understanding, together with the conferral of the prediction, have already been completed, then what further need is there of Prabhūtaratna, to bear witness to what? Hence one may know that, at the time of the dharma-teaching, Prabhūtaratna had already appeared, only that the compiler of the sūtra, his wording not laid out in strict sequence, arranged it in this order and placed it after the gate of the cause instead. Here I would say that this is merely a matter of human sentiment, and there is nothing in it to take as one's ground. In expounding the near matter of the trace gate, one need not draw on ancient testimony; but in expounding the distant matter of the origin gate, one must first bear witness to what came before. Here, then, this explanation is not adopted, but instead the Sāgaramati Sūtra is relied upon (and so on). Here it is made clear that the dharma-body bodhisattvas of the ten directions, echoing his own, are the "relatives" — this multitude that echoes him being for the most part those who shared the same karmic work with Śākyamuni in days gone by, and who, together with the Tathāgata, opened and transformed beings at the assembly of the twenty thousand million buddhas — theirs being, in every case, the conduct of an uncle toward a nephew, and hence they are taken here as the "relatives." As for "kings": every sūtra, gradual or sudden, without exception, names the very place its own teaching expounds "the king of sūtras" — the fitting of capacity and the benefiting of beings each having their own season of flourishing and decline, and each division differing from every other, is named a "kingdom," and each is called "first," which is precisely "king." Furthermore, this sūtra gathers together and interconnects every teaching — is this not precisely the assembling of kings? Hence, within the Sūtra of Immeasurable Meanings, this has already been gathered in beforehand, where it says: "first he taught the four noble truths and the twelvefold arising through conditions; next he taught the twelve divisions of the Vaipulya scriptures; and next he taught the Great Perfection of Wisdom, the Avataṃsaka, and the ocean of emptiness" — this is precisely the universal gathering together of every sūtra, fusing gradual and sudden alike, and merging them into this very scripture — hence it is named "the assembling of kings." Maitreya and the other great bodhisattvas are all of the stage of equal awakening, and make the "great ministers." From the first ground through the ninth ground make the "warrior-nobles," born within the very lineage of the Dharma-king. The thirty preliminary stages of mind make the "householders." All of these alike have received transformation from Śākyamuni.

"You should all know" onward is, third, the settling of father and son together. Truly, from me they received their learning — truly, they are my children; from me arose their understanding — they are what I brought forth. I truly once, at the assembly of the twenty thousand million buddhas, taught them the great Dharma — hence I am truly their father.

As for "in a certain city": this sūtra's own text, of Western origin, is extensive at this point, but what is rendered here is very slight — perhaps it might have spoken the ancient name of the land, as in the causal story of Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, but here the name is abbreviated, and simply "such-and-such" is said. These sentient beings turned their backs on this Great Vehicle, giving rise to the darkness of ignorance and fleeing into birth-and-death — hence it is said, "forsook me and ran away." Passing through the full course of the six destinies — hence it is said, "more than fifty years."

As for "long ago, in my native city, I searched for him with an anxious heart": from the very stage of the dharma-body in ages past, he has constantly used the twofold wisdom to observe and seek out the capacity fit to be transformed. Only from this present day does capacity and response finally intersect upon the path — hence it is said, "now, suddenly, in this place, I have come upon him and found him again."

From "all that I now possess" onward is, fourth, the direct bestowal of the household. Every practice and every virtue of the Great Vehicle, in its entirety — hence it is said, "all that I possess." As for "whatever has been taken in or given out before this, my son already knows in full": this reaches back to point to the days of old, the Great Perfection of Wisdom, when he was made to oversee the extensive and abbreviated forms of the Prajñāpāramitā, the dharmas shared and unshared with the other vehicles — "this you already know" means precisely "this you already possess" — and hence the Lotus Sūtra makes clear only the Buddha's own knowledge and vision, without expounding at any greater length every aspect of practice. From "the destitute son, hearing his father speak these words" onward is, second, precisely joy at receiving the bestowal — matching "each riding in the great cart, having gained what they never had before," above: having had no thought or hope of the buddha-path for himself, and now, suddenly, hearing that he is granted the prediction of buddhahood, it is said, "sought by us not at all, yet attained." Within the Tripiṭaka teaching, his original mind did not seek it; within the Vaipulya period, ashamed of the lesser, his hope for it was cut off, and so he did not seek it; within the Prajñāpāramitā, though he oversaw it, he considered it no part of his own portion, and so did not seek it — and, not seeking in any of these ways, he now attains it of himself. From "World-Honored One! The great, wealthy elder" onward is, second, the matching correlation. The master of Guangzhai matches this passage sometimes before, sometimes after, and his explanations are very sparing. Here, only the text's own order is followed, and its meaning marked, without further branching it apart. That the matching correlation here is kept brief is because what matters is grasping the meaning, not spending words needlessly. "The great, wealthy elder" matches the parable of father and son losing one another. The parable's own text had four parts, but the matching here takes father and son together and gathers in the remaining sense as well — the Tathāgata matches the father, and "like" matches the son. "Like" carries two senses: first, taking the great capacity as the "son" — since, before he had fled, he had not yet attained the true station, but still dwelt as an ordinary worldling at the outer stage, it is called "like"; second, taking the lesser capacity as the "son" — the lesser capacity merely resembles the nature proper to the Great Vehicle. Since the son had fled from the father, he is disparaged by being called merely "like" (and so on).

Question: at the very beginning, explaining the chapter, it was said that he had already entered the true — why, then, does it now say "like"?

Answer: this matches the moment when the son fled the father — hence it is said "like." At the opening of the chapter, what was made clear was the moment of the son's own awakening — your question does not apply here.

From "the Tathāgata has always called us his children" onward matches the parable of father and son seeing one another — but only matching the elder seeing the son and recognizing him at once.

From "we, because of the three kinds of suffering" onward matches the parable of pursuing and enticing him — above there were the two enticements, by the attendant and by pursuit; here, too, the matching has two parts.

Above, first he sent his attendant to pursue him; next, he pursued him again; and then he let him go — here, the matching gathers both gates' absence of capacity together. "Why should I be seized, when I have done nothing wrong?" matches the absence of the great capacity; "delighting only in a lesser dharma" matches having the lesser resolve, though it does not match the setting-aside itself. From "today, the World-Honored One caused us" onward matches the parable of the two enticements. Above there was both matching what is common to the teaching and matching by way of intent; here, the matching gathers both senses together. From "sweep away" onward matches what is common to the teaching, telling everything just as instructed. From "diligently applying ourselves to this" onward matches "and set at once to clearing away dung," above. From "attained... toward nirvāṇa" onward matches "first took his wage," above. From "yet the World-Honored One, knowing from the start that our minds" onward matches by way of intent, above — the parable above had four parts, but the matching here gathers three, not matching the directly teaching him to work, since this is already included by pointing to "diligently applying" ourselves above, and so is not separately matched again. Above it spoke of "seeing him from a distance"; here it speaks of "knowing from the start." Above it spoke of "thin and haggard"; here it speaks of "our minds attached to base desires." Above it spoke of "he at once removed his necklace and put on coarse clothing instead"; here it speaks of "simply let us be and set us free, without distinguishing for us our share in the treasury." From "the World-Honored One, by the power of skillful means, spoke of the Tathāgata's wisdom" onward matches the parable of entrusting him with the household. Above there was both the reason and the bestowal; here, too, the matching has two parts. The reason has two: first, mutual trust; second, being entrusted with the household affairs. Here, too, the matching has two parts. First, mutual trust has two parts: first, matching this mutual trust. As for "the World-Honored One, by the power of skillful means, spoke of the Tathāgata's wisdom": the ancients said that this refers to the cause of the Tathāgata's wisdom being held and made the fruit of the two lesser vehicles. Here, instead, it is made clear that, wrapped within the skillful means of the three vehicles, the true reality of the Great Vehicle is expounded — hence it is said, "by the power of skillful means, spoke the Dharma of the Great Vehicle before us." This, too, matches entering and leaving without difficulty: by the power of skillful means he goes out and distinguishes the two lesser vehicles, and by the power of the Buddha's wisdom he enters and makes clear true reality. Had there not been this mutual trust of heart, how could he ever have made the Buddha's wisdom clear in our presence? From "we, from the Buddha, received a single day's wage toward nirvāṇa" onward matches

...his still remaining in his former station. From "and we even, by means of the Tathāgata's wisdom" onward matches receiving the entrustment of the household. Above there was both the commanding and the receiving; here only the receiving is matched. The receiving had four parts: first, receiving the command; second, having no desire to take anything for himself; third, not yet setting aside his base and lowly mind; and fourth, gradually opening into ease — here, only two are matched. First, matching receiving the command and coming to oversee the household. From "and yet had no aspiration toward it ourselves" onward matches having no desire to take anything, together with attaining everything else besides. As for "no aspiration": this makes clear that the Buddha, adding his own empowering strength, made them speak as though with the Buddha's own mind — hence, "I had no aspiration." From "why is this" onward explains the sense of having no desire to take anything: by the power of skillful means, he spoke according to the mind of the Lesser Vehicle, saying that we had no portion in it — and it was because of this that we did not know that we were truly children of the Buddha, and this is why we did not take it. As for "the Buddha, by the power of skillful means, taught us according to our own mind": the Buddha, wrapped within the power of skillful means, expounded the dharma of true reality together with the two lesser vehicles, and we, not recognizing his intention held in common with all, were therefore not children of the Buddha. From "only now do we know" onward matches the bestowal of the household. Above there were two: bestowal, and joy; here, too, the matching has two parts. Above, the bestowal of the household had four parts; here, they are all gathered together as a single bestowal. The bestowal has two parts: first, making clear that the Buddha, from the start, was never sparing of the great; and second, explaining this freedom from sparing, precisely because delighting in the lesser, the great was not bestowed sooner. Within this sūtra, the present is invoked to bear witness to the past: since the principle is but one, one thereby knows that the three vehicles of the past were not real, but were spoken only because beings were not yet fit to receive the one — hence, before the great, the lesser mind was disparaged, wishing to make them relinquish the false and take up the true; it is thereby certain that this was no sparing at all, and that the Buddha, in truth, all along taught and transformed by the Great Vehicle. From "we say: we originally had no mind that hoped for anything" onward matches the joy — this, too, carries the sense of not seeking, in all three periods.

The eighty-six-and-a-half lines of verse: the first seventy-three-and-a-half lines versify what came before; the next thirteen lines express thanks for the depth of the Buddha's kindness. The first again falls into two: the first two lines versify the dharma-teaching; the remaining seventy-one-and-a-half lines versify the parable-teaching. Within the versified dharma-teaching, "not seeking" is not versified, but only "attained of himself" is versified. The versified parable-teaching, again, falls into two: the first forty-one verses versify the opening of the parable; the next thirty-and-a-half verses versify the matching correlation. The opening above had four parts — father and son losing one another, seeing one another, being entrusted with the household, and the bestowal of wealth — and all of these are now versified. The first thirteen lines versify father and son losing one another; the parable above of losing one another had four parts: first, the son turning his back on the father; second, the father seeking the son; third, the son gradually returning; and fourth, the father thinking of the son. Here, too, the verse has four parts, though not in the original order. First, one-and-a-half lines versify the first — the son turning his back on the father and departing; next, second, seven lines versify the second — the father seeking the son without finding him; next, third, two lines versify, by way of anticipation, the fourth — his anxious longing growing ever deeper; and next, fourth, two-and-a-half lines versify, by way of recollection, the third — his gradual return, drawing near to the father. Each of the four passages above had two parts. Here, first, from "it is like" onward, one-and-a-half lines versify only the son turning his back on the father and departing, not versifying his turning back toward his native land. Within the burning house, the elder's own kingdom, cities, and villages were described broadly; here, the destitute son's wandering through the three realms is named "every country," and the six destinies are named "more than fifty years." From "his father, grieving over him" onward, second, seven lines versify the father seeking the son without finding him. Above there were likewise two parts, and here, too, the verse has two parts. First, half a line versifies seeking the son without finding him. From "wearied by the search" onward, six-and-a-half verses versify his not abandoning the household's own affairs on account of losing this one son. As for "searches for him in every direction": this differs from what came before — above, the "four directions" meant reasoning through the four noble truths, while here, the "four directions" mean contemplating the four modes of birth in search of a capacity fit to be delivered. As for "builds a house": this is the nirvāṇa-with-remainder within the realm-with-remainder — raising up the dwelling of compassion, resting upon the house of the emptiness of nature. As for "many come and go about him": this means the bodhisattvas of every land coming and going to hear the Dharma. From "yet as he grows old and worn" onward, third, two lines versify, by way of anticipation, the fourth — his anxious longing growing ever deeper. The text above had two parts; here, only his having lost the son earlier is versified, and now, in his suffering, having no one to entrust things to, and hence his anxious longing. From "at that time the destitute son was seeking clothing and food" onward, fourth, two-and-a-half lines versify, by way of recollection, the third above — his gradual return toward the father. The text above had two parts, and here, too, the verse has two parts. The first two lines versify the reason for his drawing near to the father — the reason being his seeking clothing and food. From "wandering by degrees" onward, half a line versifies his directly drawing near to the father's city. This is within the first — the reason for drawing near to the father.

As for "from town to town": the sense faculties intersecting with their objects is like "a town"; the eighteen elements are like "a land." Cultivating contaminated wholesome deeds is like "sometimes finding something"; cultivating the wholesome deeds of the two lesser vehicles is like "sometimes finding nothing." Not obtaining the food of the Mahāyāna Dharma is "hunger"; lacking the strength and function of the great is "gaunt"; lacking the great merit is "wasted"; and the views and thoughts that arise atop the presence or absence of wholesome deeds are like "sores." From "drifting from one hired labor to another" onward, seven-and-a-half lines of verse versify, second, father and son seeing one another. The text above had two parts, and here, too, the verse has two parts: the first six-and-a-half lines versify the son seeing the father; the next line versifies the father seeing the son. The text above of the son seeing the father had four parts; here the verse gives three: first, half a line versifies the reason for seeing the father, the reason being that, drifting from one hired labor to another, he arrived at last at his father's house. Next, from "at that time the elder" onward, second, two-and-a-half lines versify the third — the appearance in which he sees the father. Above, the place of seeing the father was made clear, this place being at the side of the gate; here, saying "the elder, within his gate," gains the sense of place as well. "Had spread a great jeweled canopy" and the rest is directly seeing the father's appearance, seated upon the lion's throne. The dharma-body is the teacher, and is the king; the reward-response body is the elder. "Recording... in ledgers and deeds" is precisely the conferral of the prediction, making clear his practice. My own view is that setting out the extensive so as to display the abbreviated is the "recording"; conferring the decisive prediction is the "prediction"; the four great vows are the "ledger"; and practice is the "deed." From "the destitute son, seeing his father" onward, three-and-a-half lines versify the fourth — the mind of fear and avoidance that arises.

From "the elder, at that time" onward, one line versifies, second, the father seeing the son. The text above had four parts: first, the place of seeing; second, recognizing him at once upon seeing him; third, joy at seeing him; and fourth, having his wish fulfilled. Here, only two are versified: the first half-line versifies the place of seeing the son; from "from a distance" onward, second, half a line versifies recognizing him at once upon seeing him. From "at once commanded his messengers to pursue and seize him and bring him back" onward, third, ten-and-a-half lines versify the parable of pursuing and enticing him, above. Here, first, three lines versify the pursuit by the attendant. The text above of the attendant's pursuit had three parts: first, calling the son, who does not come; second, calling him a second time, who still does not come; and third, letting him go. Here, first, three phrases versify the first calling, with no capacity for it, and his not coming; next, from "overcome with confusion" onward, second, one phrase versifies calling him a second time, and his not coming; and next, from "these men" onward, third, two lines versify the absence of capacity, this being precisely the sense of the setting-aside explained above. From "used a skillful means instead" onward, second, seven-and-a-half lines versify the secret sending of the two men to entice him. The text above had two parts, and here, too, the verse has two parts: the first three lines versify the parable of hiring him for work; the next four-and-a-half lines versify the parable of teaching him to work. The text above of hiring him for work had four parts: first, devising the skillful means; second, seeking him out and finding him at once; third, telling him of the hire; and fourth, taking the wage and clearing away dung. Here, only two are versified: the first two lines versify the first, devising the skillful means; from "the destitute son, hearing this" onward, one line versifies the fourth, taking the wage and clearing away dung. Here, first, devising the skillful means: "one-eyed" is the one-sided emptiness; "stunted," meaning short in stature, is not exhausting the very source of true reality; and "stumped," meaning narrow in breadth, is without the adornment of the Great Vehicle's every excellent quality. Being without the four fearlessnesses is named "without authority," and differing from permanence, joy, self, and purity is named "without virtue." Next, from "the destitute son, hearing this" onward, second, taking the wage is purifying the six sense faculties, the dwelling of the five aggregates. From "the elder, at his window" onward, second, four-and-a-half lines versify the teaching of work above. The text above had four parts, and here, too, the verse has four parts. The first half-line versifies "at the window"; from "thinking of his son's low and foolish state" onward, second, half a line versifies "thin and haggard"; from "and so the elder put on" onward, third, one line versifies removing his fine robes and putting on coarse ones; and from "drawing near to him by this skillful means" onward, fourth, two-and-a-half lines versify the direct teaching of work. Above there were the seven groups of the factors of the path. "Told him" corresponds to the four

foundations of mindfulness; "to work diligently" is precisely the four right exertions; from "I shall raise your wage" onward, one line versifies the four bases of supernormal power; "oil for your feet" — being able to tread deep water is like the spiritual powers, and oil, moreover, is able to dispel wind, concentration being free of any disorder; "food enough" is precisely "rice and flour," above; "thick, warm bedding" is precisely the concentration cultivated and refined through repeated practice, able to remove agitation and distraction. "Speaking sternly like this, he said: 'you should work diligently,'" half a line, together versifies the fourth, consolation, and the fifth, being without the five faults, above — the faculties and the powers having been accomplished, he is now fit to bear stern words; "and then, with gentle words," half a line, together versifies the sixth, giving him a name, and the seventh, having him constantly set to work, both belonging to the stage of "child." From "the elder, being wise" onward, fourth, ten lines versify the fourth above, matching the entrustment of the household. The text above had two parts, and here, too, the verse has two parts. Here, first, three-and-a-half lines versify the reason for the bestowal; next, six-and-a-half lines versify the direct bestowal. Within the first, the reason, there were two parts, and here, too, the verse has two parts. First, from "the elder, being wise" onward, half a line together versifies mutual trust of heart, that is, entering and leaving; from "for twenty years" onward, second, three lines versify being entrusted with overseeing the household. Above, being entrusted with the household had both the commanding and the receiving; here, only the receiving of the command is versified. Above, the receiving of the command had four parts; here, only three are versified. The first line-and-a-half versifies receiving the command; next, from "yet still remained outside the gate" onward, second, one line versifies his still remaining in his former station, not yet having set aside his base mind; and next, from "the father, seeing that his son's mind" onward, third, half a line versifies his mind opening into ease, his great resolve, the great capacity now stirred. First, as for "twenty years": this cannot be taken the same as above — above, "twenty" named the severing of views and thought, while here it makes clear his managing the affairs of the household. Some say this means relaying the Mahāyāna teaching and teaching the bodhisattvas, severing the views and thought that are the particular delusions of the Mahāyāna, and this is named "twenty years." Some say this is because the time spent expounding the Prajñāpāramitā was long, altogether twenty years. Some say this is because, dwelling in the station of the two lesser vehicles while the Mahāyāna teaching was relayed to him, this made "twenty years." The Benevolent Kings Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra says, "for twenty-eight years he expounded the Great Perfection of Wisdom." From "wishing to give him his wealth" onward, second, six-and-a-half lines versify, second, the direct bestowal of the household. The text above had two parts, and here, too, the verse has two parts.

The first four-and-a-half lines versify the direct bestowal; the next two lines versify the joy at receiving the bestowal. Above, the direct bestowal had four parts; here, only three are versified, without the season. First, from "wishing to give" onward, one line versifies the second above, gathering together the relatives. From "before this great assembly" onward, second, two-and-a-half lines versify the third above, settling once for all the natural bond of father and son. From "all that I possess" onward, third, one line versifies the fourth above, the direct bestowal. From "the son, remembering his former poverty" onward, second, two lines versify the joy at receiving the bestowal. From "the Buddha is likewise so" onward, third, ten-and-a-half verses versify the matching correlation. "The Buddha is likewise so" matches the first, father and son losing one another; the single phrase "knowing that we delighted in a lesser Dharma" matches the parable of father and son seeing one another; and the two phrases beginning "he never once said" versify matching the third, the parable of pursuing and calling him. Above, the matching had two parts: first, matching calling him a second time and his not coming; second, matching letting him go — here, the sense of both is gathered together and versified as one. From "and taught us instead" onward, one line versifies the matching above of the secret sending of the two men to entice him. Above, the matching had the two sections of what is common to the teaching and matching by way of intent; here, this one line only versifies their sense taken together as a whole. From "the Buddha commanded us" onward, twenty-eight-and-a-half lines versify the matching, fourth above, of receiving the entrustment of the household. Above, the matching had two parts: mutual trust, and being entrusted with the household — here, first, eighteen-and-a-half lines versify only the matching of being entrusted with the household; next, ten lines versify the matching of the direct bestowal. Above, within receiving the command, there were only two: first, receiving the command; second, having no desire to take anything. Here, first, one long line versifies the command and the overseeing, matching what was not matched above. "The supreme path" is precisely the Prajñāpāramitā of emptiness, than which there is nothing higher. The next seventeen-and-a-half lines directly match receiving the command and having no desire to take anything, and the rest, not yet relinquishing it, and opening into ease. "We received the Buddha's teaching," five lines, versifies directly receiving the command. "The children of the Buddha, hearing the Dharma, receive the prediction" makes clear the relaying of the teaching, benefiting others thereby. "At that time" refers to the relaying of the teaching, teaching and transforming the bodhisattvas, not speaking as though for himself. From "like that destitute son" onward, twelve-and-a-half lines versify, second, having no desire to take anything — this text expands upon what came before. Within it there are, again, two parts: the first line cites the earlier parable and directly matches it; next, from "though we expounded" onward, second, eleven-and-a-half lines directly match having no desire to take anything, and this, again, falls into three: first, one line directly versifies having no desire to take anything. Next, from "we, inwardly extinguishing" onward

nine-and-a-half lines match his possessing wisdom and severance in full, and hence having no desire to take anything, and this, again, falls into three: the statement, the explanation, and the conclusion. The first has two: the first line states that, the virtue of severance being complete, there is no desire to take anything; next, from "if we had heard" onward, second, one line states that, the virtue of wisdom being complete, there is no desire to take anything. From "why is this" onward, six lines together explain the two sections of wisdom and severance. Next, from "though we, for the sake of" onward, third, one-and-a-half lines conclude and explain his own having no desire to take anything for himself. Next, from "the guiding teacher, seeing" onward, third, one line makes clear that the Buddha, seeing him, let him be, matching having no desire to take anything. From "just as the wealthy elder" onward, ten lines versify the direct bestowal. Above, the matching had two parts: first, the direct bestowal; second, joy at receiving the bestowal. Here, too, the verse has two parts: first, three lines versify the direct bestowal; next, seven lines versify the joy at receiving it. Within the first three lines, above, the direct bestowal was matched as a single whole, and here, too, it is versified as a whole — only the first line-and-a-half cites the parable and directly matches it, and the next line-and-a-half directly versifies the matching. From "we, today" onward, seven lines versify, second, the joy at receiving the bestowal. As for "attained the path": this is attaining the path of true reality. As for "attained the fruit": this is partially attaining the habituated fruit of the Great Vehicle. These two phrases make clear the opening of the Buddha's own knowledge. As for "in the undefiled dharma, attained the pure eye": these two phrases make clear the opening of the Buddha's own vision, seeing the principle of true reality. Formerly, seeing the undefiled, they did not fall to the level of the ordinary being; now, seeing the undefiled, they do not fall to the level of the two lesser vehicles. Formerly, the eye of wisdom saw emptiness; now, the pure eye sees the middle. As for "the fruit of upholding the precepts": formerly, upholding the precepts and the holy life together displayed the undefiled, yet with the ashes of the body and the extinction of the mind, there was no one to receive this very fruit; now, the holy life is able to attain the undefiled — this is precisely the sense of the revealing cause taking hold of the fruit; upholding the precepts is precisely the sense of the conditioning cause; and the principle seen by the pure eye is precisely the sense of the correct cause. As for "we are truly śrāvakas": this is precisely the true station of the Great Vehicle. Within the ten stages of faith, the single sound pervading the three-thousandfold world resembles the path but is not yet the true path; only upon entering the ten abidings is this the true path. The true arhat carries three senses, and here only the single sense of "worthy of offerings" is raised. If one is no longer subject to the transformation-birth, and has slain the delusions shared and distinct alike, this is the sense of "not arising" and "slaying the thief," fit to be the field of merit for the ten dharma-realms — this is precisely the sense of "worthy of offerings"; "worthy of offerings" and "slayer of the thief" mutually display one another. The next thirteen lines give thanks for the depth of the Buddha's kindness, difficult ever to repay, just as the text has it. My own view

is that, as for "the great kindness of the World-Honored One": first, the Buddha, from the very start, established great compassion, drawing out the suffering of the six destinies and bestowing the joy of the four kinds of noble ones, embracing the ten dharma-realms universally within the four great vows — this is the kindness of the Tathāgata's room. Second, the Tathāgata, practicing the bodhisattva path, taught, instructed, benefited, and delighted beings, and once taught me the Great Vehicle — though I forgot it midway, his wisdom and vow were never lost — this is the kindness of the Tathāgata's room, cool and warm in its season, the great loving-kindness that bestows joy. Third, when sentient beings meet with suffering, they look only to their father — the Buddha watches for what is fitting for them, as a calf follows its mother, and fully practices the six perfections to benefit sentient beings — this is the kindness of the Tathāgata's room, sheltering from the cold and warding off the heat, the great compassion that removes suffering. Fourth, the Buddha, having accomplished the path, ought to have received the joy of unconditioned quiescent cessation, and yet concealed his own numinous virtue, and, by means of the dharma the poor delight in, the five precepts and the ten wholesome deeds, sprinkled cold water on their faces to bring them to their senses — this is the kindness of the Buddha's robe, sheltering them from the heat of greed and desire. Fifth, manifesting the form of an old bhikṣu, drawing near by skillful means and giving a single day's wage — this is the kindness of the Buddha's robe, removing the heat of views and craving. Sixth, after this, mutual trust of heart, rebuking and disparaging them so as to make them ashamed of the lesser and long for the great — this is the kindness of the Buddha's robe, sheltering them from ugliness and shame. Seventh, commanding him to oversee the household, letting him know all the gold, silver, and storehouses — this is the kindness of the Buddha's robe, adorning me. Eighth, gathering together the relatives, settling father and son, and bestowing the household — the unsurpassed treasure, sought by us not at all, yet attained — this is the kindness of the Tathāgata's seat. Ninth and tenth: having now taken this seat, body and mind at ease, gaining swift and blessed peace, causing the sound of the buddha-path to be heard by all, every deva and human universally receiving offerings within it — this is the kindness of the Tathāgata's seat, causing me to be complete, practicing for myself and transforming others. This is what is meant by "the World-Honored One's great kindness, which the two shoulders, though they bear its weight, could never repay."