The Illuminated Lotus Sutra Chapter 4 Extract 5

The son inherits his father's wealth.

The Illuminated Lotus Sutra Chapter 4 Extract 5

©

Roberta Mansell

''31. The rich man perceiving this of him (thinks): My son has arrived at the consciousness of being

noble. He calls together a gathering of his friends and relatives (and says): I will give all my property

to this man.

32. In the midst of the assembly where the king, burghers, citizens, and many merchantmen were

present, he speaks thus: This is my son whom I lost a long time ago.

33. It is now fully fifty years — and twenty years more during which I have seen him — that he

disappeared from such and such a place and that in his search I came to this place.

34.He is owner of all my property; to him I leave it all and entirely; let him do with it what he wants;

I give him my whole family property.

35. And the (poor) man is struck with surprise; remembering his former poverty, his low disposition,

and as he receives those good things of his father's and the family property, he thinks: Now am I a

happy man.

36.In like manner has the leader, who knows our low disposition (or position), not declared to us:

Ye shall become Buddhas, but, Ye are, certainly, my disciples and sons.

37.And the Lord of the world enjoins us: Teach, Kâsyapa, the superior path to those that strive to

attain the highest summit of enlightenment, the path by following which they are to become

Buddhas.

38. Being thus ordered by the Sugata, we show the path to many Bodhisattvas of great might, by

means of myriads of kotis of illustrations and proofs.

39.And by hearing us the sons of Gina realise that eminent path to attain enlightenment, and in that

case receive the prediction that they are to become Buddhas in this world.

40. Such is the work we are doing strenuously, preserving this law-treasure and revealing it to the

sons of Gina, in the manner of that man who had deserved the confidence of that (other man).

41. Yet, though we diffuse the Buddha-treasure we feel ourselves to be poor; we do not require the

knowledge of the Gina, and yet, at the same time, we reveal it.

42.We fancy an individual Nirvâna; so far, no further does our knowledge reach; nor do we ever

rejoice at hearing of the divisions of Buddha-fields.

43. All these laws are faultless, unshaken, exempt from destruction and commencement; but there

is no law in them. When we hear this, however, we cannot believe.

44. We have put aside all aspiration to superior Buddha-knowledge a long time ago; never have we

devoted ourselves to it. This is the last and decisive word spoken by the Gina.

45. In this bodily existence, closing with Nirvâna, we have continually accustomed our thoughts to

the void; we have been released from the evils of the triple world we were suffering from, and have

accomplished the command of the Gina.

Text based on the translation by J H C Kern

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