The Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma

人民眾多。出入息利，乃遍他國，

and very many people. Income and interest from lending reached other countries,

商估賈人、無處不有。千萬億眾，

and traders and merchants were everywhere. Tens of millions of people

圍繞恭敬，常為王者，之所愛念，

surrounded and revered him, and he was always beloved of kings,

群臣豪族，皆共宗重。以諸緣故，

and all the ministers and powerful clans esteemed him. For these reasons,

往來者眾，豪富如是，有大力勢。

those who came and went were many; he was rich and powerful like this, with great influence.

而年朽邁，益憂念子，夙夜惟念，

But he grew old and decrepit and thought more and more anxiously of his son, thinking day and night,

死時將至。痴子捨我，五十餘年，

'The time of death is approaching. My foolish son left me for more than fifty years;

庫藏諸物，當如之何？爾時窮子，

what should be done with the things in the storehouses?' At that time the poor son

求索衣食，從邑至邑、從國至國。

sought clothing and food, from town to town and state to state.

或有所得，或無所得，飢餓羸瘦，

Sometimes he got something, sometimes nothing, hungry and emaciated,

體生瘡癬。漸次經歷，到父住城，

his body covered with sores and scabs. Passing through places gradually, he came to the city where his father lived,

傭賃展轉，遂至父舍。爾時長者，

and working for hire from place to place, at last came to his father's house. At that time the elder,

於其門內，施大寶帳，處師子座；

inside his gate, had set up a great jeweled canopy and sat on a lion seat;

眷屬圍遶，諸人侍衛，或有計算，

surrounded by his household, attended by many people, some of whom were calculating

金銀寶物，出內財產，注記券䟽。

gold, silver and treasures, taking in and paying out property, and recording tallies and ledgers.

窮子見父，豪貴尊嚴，謂是國王，

The poor son saw his father, rich, noble and majestic, and took him for a king,

若是王等。驚怖自怪，何故至此。

or one equal to a king. Frightened and astonished, he wondered why he had come here.

覆自念言：『我若久住，或見逼迫，

He thought again: 'If I stay long, I may be pressed

強驅使作。』思惟是已，馳走而去，

and forced to work.' Having thought this, he ran away,

借問貧裡，欲往傭作。長者是時，

asking the way to a poor village, wishing to work for hire. At that time the elder

在師子座，遙見其子，默而識之。

on his lion seat saw his son from afar and recognized him silently.

即勅使者，追捉將來。窮子驚喚，

He at once ordered messengers to chase and seize him and bring him back. The poor son cried out in alarm,

迷悶躄地：『是人執我，必當見殺，

dizzy and collapsed on the ground: 'This man has seized me and will surely kill me;

何用衣食，使我至此？』長者知子，

what use are clothing and food, that I should be brought to this?' The elder knew that his son

愚痴狹劣，不信我言，不信是父。

was foolish, narrow and inferior, and would not believe his words or believe he was his father.

即以方便，更遣餘人，眇目矬陋，

So by expedient means he sent others instead, one-eyed, short and ugly,

無威德者：『汝可語之，雲當相僱，

without dignity: 'Go and tell him that he will be hired

除諸糞穢，倍與汝價。』窮子聞之，

to clear away filth, and paid double.' When the poor son heard this,

歡喜隨來，為除糞穢，淨諸房舍。

he followed gladly and cleared away the filth and cleaned all the rooms.

長者於牖，常見其子，念子愚劣，

The elder, from the window, constantly saw his son and thought that he was foolish and inferior,

樂為鄙事。於是長者，著弊垢衣，

delighting in lowly tasks. So the elder put on worn, dirty clothes,

執除糞器，往到子所，方便附近，

took a dung-clearing tool, went to where his son was, approached him by expedient means,

語令勤作：

and told him to work diligently:

『既益汝價，並塗足油，飲食充足，

'I have already raised your pay, and I give you oil for your feet, plenty of food and drink,

薦席厚煖。』如是苦言：『汝當勤作。』

and thick warm mats.' With such stern words: 'You must work diligently.'

又以軟語：『若如我子。』長者有智，

And again with gentle words: 'You are just like my son.' The elder, being wise,

漸令入出，經二十年，執作家事。

gradually had him come in and out, and over twenty years he took charge of household affairs.

示其金銀、真珠頗梨；諸物出入，

He showed him the gold, silver, pearls and crystal; and the goods coming in and going out

皆使令知。猶處門外，止宿草菴，

he had him know entirely. Yet he still stayed outside the gate, lodging in a grass hut,

自念貧事：『我無此物。』父知子心，

thinking of his own poverty: 'I do not have these things.' The father knew that his son's mind

漸已廣大，欲與財物。即聚親族、

had gradually grown broad and wished to give him his wealth. He then gathered his relatives,

國王大臣、剎利居士。於此大眾，

the king, ministers, Kshatriyas and householders. Before this great assembly,

說是我子，捨我他行，經五十歲。

he said: 'This is my son, who left me and went elsewhere for fifty years.

自見子來，已二十年。昔於某城，

It is twenty years since I saw my son come back. Formerly, in a certain city,

而失是子，周行求索，遂來至此。

I lost this son; searching everywhere, I came at last to this place.

凡我所有，舍宅人民，悉以付之，

All that I have, house and people, I entrust entirely to him,

恣其所用。子念昔貧，志意下劣，

to use as he pleases.' The son, remembering his former poverty and low and inferior aims,

今於父所，大獲珍寶，並及舍宅、

has now from his father obtained great treasures, together with house

一切財物。甚大歡喜，得未曾有。

and all wealth. He is greatly delighted, gaining what he never had before.

佛亦如是，知我樂小，未曾說言：

The Buddha is also like this: knowing that we delighted in the small, he never said:

『汝等作佛。』而說我等，得諸無漏，

'You will become Buddhas.' But said that we had attained freedom from outflows,

成就小乘，聲聞弟子。佛勅我等，

accomplished the Small Vehicle, and were Shravaka disciples. The Buddha instructed us

說最上道，修習此者，當得成佛。

to preach the supreme Way, saying that those who practice it will become Buddhas.

我承佛教，為大菩薩，以諸因緣、

I, receiving the Buddha's teaching, for great Bodhisattvas, with various causes and conditions,

種種譬喻、若干言辭，說無上道。

many parables and many words, preached the unsurpassed Way.

諸佛子等、從我聞法，日夜思惟，

The children of the Buddha, hearing the Dharma from me, reflected on it day and night,

精勤修習。是時諸佛，即授其記：

and practiced diligently. Then the Buddhas immediately gave them predictions:

『汝於來世，當得作佛。』一切諸佛，

'In a future age, you will become Buddhas.' The secret Dharma of all the Buddhas

秘藏之法，但為菩薩，演其實事，

is only for Bodhisattvas, to whom they explain its real matter,

而不為我，說斯真要。如彼窮子、

but for us they did not speak this true essence. Like that poor son