舍利弗 若我弟子 自謂阿羅漢辟支佛者 不聞不知諸佛如來 但教化菩薩事 此非佛弟子 非阿羅漢 非辟支佛 又舍利弗 是諸比丘比丘尼 自謂已得阿羅漢 是最後身究竟涅槃 便不復志求阿耨多羅三藐三菩提 當知此輩皆是增上慢人 所以者何 若有比丘 實得阿羅漢 若不信此法 無有是處 除佛滅後 現前無佛 所以者何 佛滅度後 如是等經 受持讀誦解義者 是人難得 若遇餘佛 於此法中 便得決了 舍利弗 汝等當一心信解受持佛語 諸佛如來言無虛妄 無有餘乘 唯一佛乘 爾時長者 見是大火從四面起 即大驚怖 而作是念 我雖能以安隱出於火宅 諸子於火宅中 樂著嬉戲 不覺不知 不驚不怖 火來逼身 苦痛切己 心不厭患 無求出意
shè lì fú ruò wǒ dì zǐ zì wèi ā luó hàn pì zhī fó zhě bù wén bù zhī zhū fó rú lái dàn jiào huà pú sà shì cǐ fēi fó dì zǐ fēi ā luó hàn fēi pì zhī fó yòu shè lì fú shì zhū bǐ qiū bǐ qiū ní zì wèi yǐ dé ā luó hàn shì zuì hòu shēn jiū jìng niè pán biàn bù fù zhì qiú ā nòu duō luó sān miǎo sān pú tí dāng zhī cǐ bèi jiē shì zēng shàng màn rén suǒ yǐ zhě hé ruò yǒu bǐ qiū shí dé ā luó hàn ruò bù xìn cǐ fǎ wú yǒu shì chù chú fó miè hòu xiàn qián wú fó suǒ yǐ zhě hé fó miè dù hòu rú shì děng jīng shòu chí dú sòng jiě yì zhě shì rén nán dé ruò yù yú fó yú cǐ fǎ zhōng biàn dé jué liǎo shè lì fú rǔ děng dāng yī xīn xìn jiě shòu chí fó yǔ zhū fó rú lái yán wú xū wàng wú yǒu yú chéng wéi yī fó chéng ěr shí zhǎng zhě jiàn shì dà huǒ cóng sì miàn qǐ jí dà jīng bù ér zuò shì niàn wǒ suī néng yǐ ān yǐn chū yú huǒ zhái zhū zǐ yú huǒ zhái zhōng lè zhe xī xì bù jué bù zhī bù jīng bù bù huǒ lái bī shēn kǔ tòng qiē jǐ xīn bù yàn huàn wú qiú chū yì
Key Message
The Buddha taught varied doctrines suited to the capacities of beings, but all of these were provisional; the ultimate intention is to carry every sentient being to Buddhahood on the single great vehicle.
▸The Chapter on Parables (Yupin, 譬喩品) contains the most celebrated parable of the Lotus Sutra: the Parable of the Burning House (huozhai biyu, 火宅譬喩).
The Chapter on Parables (Yupin, 譬喩品) contains the most celebrated parable of the Lotus Sutra: the Parable of the Burning House (huozhai biyu, 火宅譬喩). A wealthy elder's decaying mansion catches fire. His children, absorbed in play inside, are oblivious to the flames that encroach upon them — neither alarmed nor seeking escape. To lure them out, the father calls to them that outside the gate wait the carts they have always wanted: a cart pulled by a goat, a cart pulled by a deer, and a cart pulled by an ox (the Three Carts, 三車). Once the children scramble safely outside, the father gives them all a single magnificent great white ox-cart (大白牛車). In this allegory, the burning house represents the three realms (tridhatu) consumed by greed, hatred, and delusion. The three carts symbolize the three vehicles: the vehicle of the shravaka, the vehicle of the pratyekabuddha, and the vehicle of the bodhisattva. The great white ox-cart represents the One Buddha Vehicle (ekayana). The Buddha taught the three vehicles as provisional means to draw beings out of suffering, but his ultimate intention is always to bestow upon everyone the single vehicle of Buddhahood.