The Seven Parables in the Lotus Sutra

By Rev. Shokai Kanai

The following parable is revealed in Chapter 3 of the Lotus Sutra:

A long time ago, a rich man lived in a village. His wealth was immeasurable. He had many paddy fields, houses, and servants. His manor house was large, but it had only one gate. In that house lived several hundred people. The buildings were in decay, the fences and walls were corrupted, the bases of the pillars were rotten, and the beams and ridge poles were tilted and slanted.

All of a sudden, fires broke out and spread all over. In this house lived many children of the rich man. He was very frightened at the great fires and thought, "I am able to get out of the burning house safely, but my children are still inside. They are engrossed in playing. They do not know that the fires are coming toward them. They are not frightened or afraid. They do not know what fire is."

"This house has only one gate. Worse still, the gate is narrow and small. My children are too young to know this. They are attached to the place where they are playing. They may get burned. I had better tell them of the danger. They must come out quickly so as not to be burned to death."

"Come out quickly!" He warned them with these good words out of his compassion towards them, but they were too engrossed in playing to hear the words of their father. They did not wish to come out. They ran about happily. They only glanced at their father occasionally. If they and I do not get out at once, we shall be burned. I must save them from this danger with an expedient.

He said to them, "The toys you wish to have are outside the gate. There are sheep-carts, deer-carts and bullock-carts. You can play with them. Come out of this burning house quickly!"

The children rushed quickly out of the burning house, pushing one another, and striving to be first. The rich man, who saw them having come out safely, was relieved and danced with joy. They said to their father, "Father! Give us the toys! Give us the sheep-carts, deer-carts, and bullock-carts you promised us!"

Then the rich man gave each of them a WHITE LARGE OX-CART of the same size. The cart was tall, wide and deep, adorned with many treasures, and had bells hanging on the four sides. This great man gave one of these carts to each of his children because his wealth was so immeasurable that his various store houses were full of treasures.

The children rode in the large carts, and had the greatest joy that they had ever had because they had never expected to get them.

The rich man is the Buddha. The burning house is the world where we live. The fire is our sufferings. The children playing with the toys without realizing the danger of the fire symbolizes the attitude of those who seek momentary pleasures in their daily lives. The sheep cart represents the realm of shomon or listeners in Buddha's teachings, the deer-cart indicates the realm of engaku or self-realization, the bullock-cart portrays the realm of Bodhisattva, and finally the white large ox-cart characterizes the single vehicle of Buddhahood. The Lotus Sutra is the single vehicle of Buddhahood that leads all living beings to enlightenment. It does not discriminate between shomon, engaku, and Bodhisattva.

It is Buddha's compassion and wisdom that shows shomon, engaku, and Bodhisattva as expedients, but he is the one who leads them to the One Vehicle, Buddhahood. Only the Lotus Sutra and the Nirvana Sutra teach the Enlightenment of the shomon and the engaku. Other sutras teach that shomon and the engaku cannot attain enlightenment The Buddha says in this chapter, "All living beings are Buddha's children."

return to top

This parable is revealed in Chapter 4 of the Lotus Sutra. The story goes as follows:

A poor little boy ran away from his father when he was very young. He lived in another country for many years. He wandered about in all directions, seeking food and clothing. While wandering here and there, he happened to walk towards his home country.

At that time his father stayed in a city of the country. He had been vainly looking for his son ever since. He was now very rich. He had innumerable treasures. His storehouses were filled with gold, silver, coral, and crystal. He had many servants, carts, cows, and sheep. He dealt with many merchants and customers.

The poor son came to the city where his father was living. The father had been thinking of his son ever since he had lost him. He thought, "I am old and decrepit. I have many treasures. But I have no son other than the missing one. When I die, my treasures will be scattered and lost. Therefore, I am always yearning for my son."

At that time the poor son happened to stand by the gate of the wealthy man's house. Seeing the rich man, the poor son was frightened and thought, "Is he a king or someone like a king? This is not the place where I can get some work to get food and clothing easily. If I stay here any longer, I shall be forced to work." He tried to run away.

The rich man recognized him at first sight as his son. He was delighted. He immediately dispatched a man standing beside him to quickly bring back the poor son. The messenger ran up to the poor son and caught him. The poor son was frightened and cried, "I have done nothing wrong. Why do you catch me?" The messenger pulled him by force. The poor son thought, "I am caught though I am not guilty. I shall be killed." More and more frightened, the poor son fainted and fell to the ground.

Seeing all this in the distance, the father said to the messenger, "I do not want him any more. Do not bring him forcibly! Pour cold water on his face to awaken him!" The father said this because he had realized that his son was too base and mean to meet a noble man. He knew that the man was his son, but expediently refrained from telling others that this was his son.

Waking up, the poor son stood up and went to a village of the poor to get food and clothing. The wealthy man dispatched messengers in secret. He said to two men looking worn-out, powerless and virtueless, "Go and gently tell the poor man that he will be employed here for a double day's pay. If he agrees with you, bring him here and have him work to clear dirt and that you two also will work with him."

The poor son drew his pay in advance, and cleared dirt. Seeing him, the father had compassion towards him and took off his necklace, his garment and other ornaments. He put on tattered and dirty clothing. He came to the workers and said, "Work hard! Do not be lazy!"

Seeing this poor man working hard, the father told him, "Do not hesitate to take trays, rice, flour, salt and vinegar, as much as you need! Make yourself comfortable."

Years later, the rich man gave him a name and called him son. The son was glad to be treated kindly, but still thought that he was an humble employee.

Still more years passed. After that the father and the son trusted each other. Now the son felt no hesitation in entering the house of his father, but still lodged in his old place.

Now the rich man became ill. After a while the father noticed that his son had become more at ease and peaceful, that he wanted to improve himself, and that he felt ashamed of the thought that he was base and mean. The moment of death for the father drew near. The father told his son to call in his relatives, the king, ministers, and members of his household. When they were all assembled, he said to them, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is my son, my real son. I am his real father. He ran away from me when I lived in a certain city, and wandered with hardships for more than fifty years. His name is so-and-so. All my treasures are his now."

At that time the poor son was very glad to hear these words of his father. He had the greatest joy that he had ever had. He thought, "I never dreamed of having this store of treasures myself. It has come to me unexpectedly.

The wealthy man is the Eternal Buddha while the poor son is ourselves who do not realize that we are Buddha's children. We often ask Buddha, "Give me this! Give me that!" It is still a stage of shomon who is base and mean. Through the advice of the Buddha, if we put forth effort without giving up, we will be given precious treasures of Buddhahood.

return to top

This parable is revealed in Chapter 5 of the Lotus Sutra:

There are various trees and grasses including herbs growing in the thickets, forests, mountains, ravines and valleys. All these plants are different in size, name and form. They are covered with a dark cloud. Rain starts to fall. The small, middle and large roots, stems, branches and leaves of the trees and grasses are watered. So were tall and short trees, whether they are big, medium, or small. Those plants were given more or less water by the same rain from the same cloud, and grow differently according to their species. They produce different flowers and fruits although they grow on the same ground and receive water from the same rain.

The Buddha is like the cloud. The Buddha appeared in this world just as the large cloud rose. Although he equally expounded the Dharma to gods, people and all living beings, they understood his teachings differently, but they are still able to vitalize the teachings depending on their abilities, characters and specialties.

In this world, there are many different races, culture, customs, and education. The Eternal Buddha accepts the differences and applies different teachings to each individual in order to maximize their understanding. It sounds like discrimination, but it is real equality and compassion.

return to top

This parable is revealed in Chapter 7 of the Lotus Sutra.

Once upon a time there was a dangerous, long and bad road. It was so fearful that only one man lived in the neighborhood. Now many people wished to pass through this road in order to reach a place of treasures. They were led by a man who was clever, wise, and well-informed of the conditions of the dangerous road.

Halfway through their journey, the people got tired of walking and said to the leader, "We are tired out. We are also afraid of the danger of this road. We cannot go a step father. Our destination is still far off. We wish to go back."

The leader, who knew many expedients, thought, "What a pity! They wish to go back without getting great treasures," Having thought this, he expediently made a city by magic at a distance. He said to them, "Do not go back! You can stay in that great city, and do anything you like. If you enter that city, you will be peaceful. If you go on afterwards and reach the place of treasures, then you can go home."

Thereupon the worn-out people had great joy. They said, "We have never had such joy as this before. Now we shall be able to get off this bad road and become peaceful." They entered the magic city and felt peaceful.

Seeing that they had already had rested and relieved their fatigue, the leader caused the city to disappear, and said to them, "Now the place of treasures is near. I made this city by magic in order to enable you to rest."

The Buddha is like the leader of the treasure hunt. He knows the bad road which is made of birth and death and illusion. Those who are satisfied with the magic city are the people of the shomon and engaku. Although they may think that they have reached Enlightenment, they have not reached it yet. It is similar to their satisfaction with the magic city. Real Enlightenment is farther away and obtained by practicing the way of Bodhisattva. The parable also teaches that we sometime need expedients. Kito or special blessing or prayers in Nichiren Sect is one expedient. Prayers for material satisfaction is necessary for some people, but the final the goal is to reach the treasure land which is to attain Buddhahood.

return to top

This parable was told by Arahats of Buddha's disciple who had been assured by the Buddha of their future Buddhahood. Arahats thought that they had attained Nirvana when they attained Arahatship.

All of us have Buddha nature or Buddha seed, but we do not realize it. After the Buddha has revealed the Lotus Sutra, we must realize everyone's Buddha nature and have self-consciousness as Bodhisattvas. In the Lotus Sutra, we have been granted proof that we can attain Buddhahood through our realization and striving our best in the Odaimoku, the teaching of equality and harmony.

return to top

This parable is revealed in Chapter 14 of the Lotus Sutra.

Suppose a powerful king demanded surrender of the kings of smaller countries. They did not obey his demand. He led soldiers, and suppressed them. He was very glad to see that their soldiers distinguished themselves in war. According to their merits, the king gave them paddyfields, houses, villages, cities, ornaments, gold, or silver.

But he did not give a brilliant gem which he was keeping in his top-knot to anyone because the gem on the head of the king was the only one. If he had given it to anyone, the followers of the king would have been much surprised.

The Buddha is like the king. He attained Enlightenment by his powers of concentration and of wisdom. But the kings of the Maras or demons did not assent to Buddha's demand to surrender to him. Therefore, his army fought with them. He was glad to see that some distinguished themselves in war. In order to cause them to rejoice, he expounded many sutras to them; however, he did not expound to them the Lotus Sutra. When the Buddha saw extraordinary merits in their fight with the Maras and destroyed the nets of the Mara, the Buddha revealed the Lotus Sutra with great joy.

The Lotus Sutra is the treasury of the hidden core of all Buddhas. It is superior to all the other sutras. The historical Buddha in India refrained from expounding it for many years. Now it is the time to reveal the real character of the Buddha.

return to top

There was once an excellent and wise physician. He was good at dispensing medicines and curing diseases. He had many children. One day he went to a remote country on business.

After he left home, the children accidentally took some poison. The poison passed in to their bodies, and the sons writhed in agony, rolling on the ground. At that time the father returned home. Some of his children had already lost their senses while others still had not. All of them begged him to cure the poison sickness and said, "We were ignorant. We took poison by mistake. Cure us and give us back our lives!"

Seeing his children suffering so much, he compounded a medicine by pounding and sieving the herbs, and gave it to them, saying, "It has good color, smell and taste. Take it! It will remove the pain at once. You will not suffer any more."

Those who had not lost their right minds took it at once, and were cured completely. But the rest of them, who had already lost their right minds, did not consent to take the remedy given to them, because they were so perverted that they did not believe that this medicine having a good color and smell had a good taste.

The father thought, "These children are pitiful. They are so poisoned that they are perverted. Although they rejoice at seeing me and asked me to cure them, they do not consent to take this good medicine. Now I will have them take it with an expedient."

Then he said the them, "Now I am old and decrepit. I shall die soon. I am leaving this medicine here. Take it. Do not be afraid, you will be cured!" Having advised them, he went to a remote country again. Then he sent home a messenger to tell them, "Your father has just died."

Having heard that their father had passed away leaving them behind, they felt extremely sorry. They thought, "If our father were alive, he would love and protect us. Now he has deserted us and died in a remote country."

They felt lonely and helpless because they thought that they were parentless and shelterless. Their constant sadness finally caused them to remember what the father had said in his last words, "Take this remedy!" Then they took it and were completely recovered from the poison.

On hearing that they had recovered their health, the father returned home, and showed himself to them.

"What do you think of this? Do you think that anyone can accuse this excellent physician of falsehood?" The answer is "No!"

The Buddha is like the father. It is many hundreds of thousands of billions of kalpas since he became the Buddha. In order to save the perverted people in the world after the Buddha's death, he says expediently, "I shall pass away."

Although the Sakyamuni Buddha has been gone for almost 2500 years, his teachings exist even today and will exist forever. Just as the physical body of the doctor could not cure the sickness but rather it was the remedy that cured the poor children, the Buddha's teachings, the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, is continuing to cure the people in the latter age of the degeneration.

St. Nichiren, the founder of the Nichiren Sect, said the title of the Lotus Sutra, which is the Odaimoku, "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo," is just like the remedy of good color, taste, and fragrance. Nichiren Shonin also said, "Chant the Odaimoku. It is the only way to attain Buddhahood in the Era of the Latter Law."

By chanting "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo," you will have the four powers of the Odaimoku. They are to cure some physical and spiritual illness, to protect practicers of the Lotus Sutra, to erase one's bad karmas, and to attain the truth or Enlightenment.

The Lotus Sutra is the most excellent teaching compared to the other Buddhist scriptures because the Buddha gave certification to attain Buddhahood toward shomon and engaku, who had not been allowed to do so in other sutras. Another reason of its excellencies is that it also reveals the existence of the Eternal Buddha Sakyamuni in the past, present and future.

The teachings of the Lotus Sutra can be applied in our daily life, because it has been recognized among lay people as practical Buddhism.

To make it easier to practice, Nichiren Shonin revealed the concentrated form of the sutra, the Odaimoku. Chant Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. It is the shortest way to attain Buddhahood.

return to top