Parable and Skillful Means

Ταῦτα πάντα ἐλάλησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν παραβολαῖς τοῖς ὄχλοις, καὶ χωρὶς παραβολῆς οὐδὲν ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς.

“All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.”

十方佛土中，唯有一乘法，無二亦無三，除佛方便說

“Throughout the buddha-lands of the ten directions, there is only the One Vehicle teaching; there is neither a second nor a third — except as the Buddha taught through skillful means.”

Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν θησαυρῷ κεκρυμμένῳ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, ὃν εὑρὼν ἄνθρωπος ἔκρυψεν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς αὐτοῦ ὑπάγει καὶ πωλεῖ πάντα ὅσα ἔχει καὶ ἀγοράζει τὸν ἀγρὸν ἐκεῖνον.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

譬如有人，至親友家，醉酒而臥。是時親友，官事當行，以無價寶珠，繫其衣裏

“It is like a man who went to a close friend's house and lay down drunk. At that time the friend, who had to leave on official business, sewed a priceless jewel into the man's clothing.”

Καὶ τοιαύταις παραβολαῖς πολλαῖς ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον, καθὼς ἠδύναντο ἀκούειν.

“With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.”

一雲所雨，稱其種性，而得生長，華果敷實。雖一地所生，一雨所潤，而諸草木，各有差別

“The rain from one cloud causes plants to grow and bear flowers and fruit according to their nature. Though born from the same earth and moistened by the same rain, the grasses and trees each differ.”