Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra Workshop

Stories from the Lotus Sutra
Parables and stories revealing the profundity of the Lotus Sutra

Principal contributors: Ginny Austin, Hendy Blackett, Melanie Clark, Keith Evans, Alma Johnson, Blake Lange, Phill Wilder

The most often noted parables in the Lotus Sutra are: 

1. The parable of the three carts and the burning house. (third chapter — “Similes and Parables”);
2. The parable of the wealthy man and his poor son, which appears in the “Belief and Understanding” (fourth) chapter; 
3. The parable of the three kinds of medicinal herbs and two kinds of trees, from the “Parable of the Medicinal Herbs” (fifth) chapter; 
4. The parable of the phantom city and the treasure land, from the “Parable of the Phantom City” (seventh) chapter; 
5. The parable of the gem in the robe, from the “Prophecy of Enlightenment for Five Hundred Disciples” (eighth) chapter;
6. The parable of the priceless gem in the topknot, from the “Peaceful Practices” (fourteenth) chapter;
7. The parable of the excellent physician and his sick children, from the “Life Span” (sixteenth) chapter
8. Not called a parable, but definitely a story, is Chapter 20, Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, which we are including in this workshop presentation.

The Lotus Sutra is noteworthy for repeatedly expressing the themes that all people are endowed with a Buddha nature; that we all had a connection in the infinite past with the original Buddha, one that we need to reawaken; and that the Buddha land is present with us. The parables represent eight of the 28 chapters of the Lotus Sutra in emphasizing that all people possess the potential for Buddhahood. The parables are taught to make the minds of living beings one with the mind of the Buddha. (WLS Vol II, chapt 1, page 17)
There are three persistent parts to all the expedients the historical Buddha Shakyamuni used in the Lotus Sutra. 

1. Once we awaken to our vow to aspire to Buddhahood, 
2. great joy will follow, 
3. since we now “know” with our being that we are endowed with Buddhahood. 

What are we being urged to awaken to? It is our inherent Buddhahood and our unique missions as Bodhisattvas. Chapter 2 of the Lotus Sutra gives us the description of Buddhas and their consistency from beginning to end. T'ien T'ai formulated the concept of Ichinen Sanzen (“3000 life conditions revealed in a single eternal moment”) from the LS 2 (p. 24) words, “The true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas. This reality consists of appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, internal cause, relation, latent effect, manifest effect, and their consistency from beginning to end.” These words guarantee that Buddhahood is inherent in all lives. Once we “awaken with joy” to the truth of our existence we can lead happy lives as Bodhisattvas carrying out the Buddha's mission. Nothing separates Buddhahood from the lives of otherwise ordinary people. With this awareness and a strong aspiration to fulfill the Buddha's mission of ensuring all people realize true happiness, we too then enjoy the happiness that comes from confidence, accomplishment, and value-creation.

Parable of the Three Carts and the Burning House
LS Chapter 3, Pages 56-58 WLS Vol II Chapt 1 Pages 5-11
Summary — There is an extremely wealthy man who has innumerable children. One day a fire suddenly breaks out in his spacious but decaying mansion, and his children, totally absorbed in their playing, do not realize that the house is in flames and ignore his cries of warning. He therefore resorts to an expedient device to induce them to come out of the house. He shouts to them that outside he has three kinds of carts, which they have long wanted: one pulled by a sheep, one by a deer, and one by an ox. Immediate-ly, they race each other out the door. Having coaxed them to safety in this way, the wealthy man gives each of his children a cart not of the three kinds that he had promised but a much finer kind, adorned with jewels and drawn by a great white ox.

The Parable of the Impoverished Son
LS Chapter 4, Pages 81-96 — WLS Vol II, Chapt 2, Pages 34-41
Summary — A wealthy man’s son runs away from his father in childhood. For some 50 years, he wanders from one place to another in abject poverty, hiring himself out as a menial laborer. One day, the father happens by chance to see his son again. He is filled with joy, because he wants to bequeath to him all his wealth and property. The son, however, does not recognize his father and runs away, overwhelmed by the splendor of the rich man’s estate. The rich man sends messengers to bring him back, but the son thinks they have come to arrest him and faints in terror. Hearing this, the rich man tells his messengers to release him, and in their place sends two of his servants dressed in dirty clothes to offer the son work clearing away nightsoil. The son happily accepts this lowly employment in the rich man’s home. After a while, the rich man too disguises himself in dirty clothes so he can approach his son. He tells him that he can always work there, and that he will treat him like his own son. For 20 years the son works at clearing away dung and gradually gains self-confidence. The rich man then promotes him, charging him with the administration of his property, and gradually the son comes to understand all the rich man’s affairs. Eventually the rich man senses death approaching. He invites the king, his ministers, relatives and so forth and declares to them that his servant is actually his true son. He then transfers to his son the whole of his estate. 

The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs
LS Chapter 5, Pages. 97-106 — WLS Vol II, Chapt 3, Page. 65
Summary — A cloud envelops the world and sends down life-giving rain equally upon all the grasses, flowers, trees and medicinal herbs. Though the rain is the same, the plants, trees, herbs, etc., absorb the moisture differently and grow to varying heights according to their individual natures.

Parable of the Phantom City
LS Chapter 7, Pages 136-141 — WLS Vol II, Chapt 5, Pages 142-147
Summary — A group of travelers is making a journey of 500 yojana to reach a remote place where there is treasure. The road is steep and treacherous, and midway the travelers lose heart and want to turn back. Seeing this, their guide uses his mystic powers to make a city appear ahead of them at the 300 yojana point. There they rest and regain their spirits, convinced that they have been saved from the dangers of the road. Once they have recovered from their exhaustion, the guide makes the conjured city disappear and tells them that the treasure land, their true destination, is not far away. 

Gem in the Robe
LS Chapter 8, Pages 150-151 — WLS Vol 2, Chapt 6, Pages 171-175
Summary — An impoverished man went to visit a close friend who was wealthy to seek his assistance. Being treated to wine, he became drunk and fell asleep. The wealthy man had to leave on official business, but before he left, he sewed a priceless gem into the lining of his sleeping friend’s robe. When the man awoke, he had no idea that he had been given the gem. He then started out on a long journey. He suffered hardship, and, being always in want, was content with whatever little he could obtain. One day he happened to meet his old friend, who was shocked at his poverty and asked him about the gem. In surprise, the man felt in his robe and realized for the first time that he possessed a priceless jewel. While ashamed that he had been ignorant of its presence, he was also overjoyed to discover it.

Parable of the Jewel in the King's Topknot
LS Chapter 14, Pages 206-209 — WLS series, Installment #22, Living Buddhism
Summary — After a battle, the wheel-turning king rewards those who have fought successfully with land, mansions, gold, silver and other treasures. However, there is one object he will not part with, a priceless gem which he wears hidden in his topknot. Finally, he takes the gem from his hair and gives it to the soldier who has fought most valiantly.

The Excellent Physician and His Sick Children
LS Chapter 16, Pg. 227-228 — WLS series Installment # 27, Living Buddhism
Summary — There is a skilled physician who has many children. One day while he is away from home, they drink poison by mistake, and he returns to find them writhing on the ground in agony. Quickly he prepares them medicine, which possesses excellent color, fragrance and flavor. Some children take it and are cured instantly, but others, their reason distorted by the working of the poison, refuse to take it even though they are in great pain. Telling them, “I leave this good medicine here for you now,” he sets off for another country, from whence he dispatches a messenger who informs the children that their father is dead. In the extremity of their grief, they finally come to their senses and take the medicine their father has left and are cured immediately, whereupon their father returns.

Bodhisattva "Never Disparaging"
LS Chapter 20, Pages 265-271 — WLS series Installment #40, Living Buddhism
Summary — After this Buddha had entered extinction, when his Law was about to expire, there was a bodhisattva named Never Disparaging. The four kinds of believers at that time scrutinized and adhered to the Law. Bodhisattva Never Disparaging would go to where they were and speak to them, saying, “I would never disparage you, for you are practicing the way and all of you will become Buddhas!” When the people heard this, they gibed at him, cursed and reviled him, but Bodhisattva Never Disparaging bore all this with patience. When his offenses had been wiped out and his life was drawing to a close, he was able to hear this sutra and his six faculties were purified. Because of his transcendental powers his lifespan was extended, and for the sake of others he preached this sutra far and wide. The persons who adhered to the Law all received teaching and conversion from this bodhisattva, who caused them to dwell in the Buddha way. When Never Disparaging’s life ended, he encountered numerous Buddhas, and because he had preached this sutra he gained measurable blessings.