They felt like dancing with joy, rose from their seats…

The next three [statements] describe why they are pleased. [In the paragraph] from [the clause] “[we], who were at the head of the saṃgha” to [the phrase] “made no effort to seek Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi (unsurpassed, complete enlightenment),” they told [themselves] that they “had already attained” realization, and felt that they did not hope for anything further. [This is] the first [statement].

You have been expounding the Dharma for a long time.

[This is] the second [statement]. In the past they heard the Buddha preaching the Prajn͂āpāramitā Sūtras. Hearing them preached, they became “tired and idle,” thinking solely of “emptiness” (śūnyatā) and “signlessness” (animitta), and giving up forever the will to transform the minds of living beings through the purity of the Buddha-land.

We elders of the Saṃgha were already old and decrepit [when we heard of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi].

[This is] the third [statement]. They are already approaching the last stage of life, advanced in age. Being advanced in years, [“when the Buddha instructed bodhisattvas”] in the unexcelled path, [in their words], “this did not arouse in us the least thought of desire.”

But now we are very glad to hear that you have assured a Śrāvakas of his future attainment of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. We have the greatest joy that we have ever had. We have never expected to hear such a rare teaching all of a sudden. How glad we are! We have obtained great benefits. We have obtained innumerable treasures although we did not seek them.

The aforementioned three [statements] refer to the faults caused by self-esteem. Now, as they suddenly hear the voice hearers receive the prophecy, their hearts are filled with joy but with no self-esteem. Thus, “the immeasurable amount of precious treasures, unsought by us, of themselves” have reached [them]. The meaning of their joyfulness is shown here.

“World-Honored One! Allow us to explain our understanding by telling a parable.

The men of the Lesser Vehicle from the beginning had no great hope; they had hope only in the two vehicles. Again for the sake of them a parable is devised. This part, divided into three paragraphs, illustrates what “the immeasurable amount of precious treasures, unsought by us, of themselves have come into our possession” means. The first [paragraph] shows that formerly when they were in the place where twenty thousand Buddhas were, they were ignorant of the path of Śākyamuni. This formed the relationship of father and son. The second [paragraph] explains that their spiritual triggering force grew so profound and manifest that Śākyamuni deigned to respond to them, preaching the doctrine of the three vehicles. The third [paragraph] discusses the purport of the One ultimate of the Dharma Blossom. This allows, as a secondary effect, the Buddha’s idea to be manifested and helps them, as an immediate effect, to verify what they have heard.

Thereupon the men living the life of wisdom: Subhūti, Mahā-Kātyāyana, Mahā-Kāśyapa, and Mahā-Maudgalyāyana felt strange because they heard the Dharma from the Buddha that they had never heard before, and because they heard that the World-Honored One had assured Śāriputra of his future attainment of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.

As a departure from what was mentioned as three, now they have heard that they are [in reality none other than] the One, and then [have witnessed] [the Buddha’s] granting Body-son the prophecy [of his future enlightenment to] the unexcelled Tao. They heard these words directly pronounced by the Buddha, which they had never heard before. Thanks to this they realized it themselves. What they have attained is something beyond what they had expected; (naturally,] their happiness is double.

Chapter 4: Understanding by Faith
Although the four eminent voice hearers have attained to enlightenment through the parable, it seems that their traces have not been thoroughly examined because they have become enlightened just lately. Therefore, they tell themselves [the parable of] “the poor son” in order to [examine and] display their understanding. Their understanding must be thoroughly examined, which is then called belief and understanding. Again, also illustrated here is the process (tao) of the three turned One.

In my lifetime or after my extinction
Some will slander this sūtra,
And despise the person
Who reads or recites
Or copies or keeps this sūtra.
They will hate him,
Look at him with jealousy,
And harbor enmity against him.
Listen! I will tell you
How they will be punished.

[The Buddha] wishes to transmit [the Dharma] to later generations; thereby, making the Tao prevail in the world. Thus, he has established the rule of gain and loss in order to admonish people: As for the Scripture of Dharma Blossom, there is no meaning (i) that it does not embrace; there is no goodness that it does not hold in its complete possession. If one follows it, there will be no fortune that one shall not collect. If one goes against it, there will be no evil that one shall not encounter. Hence, a wide range of [the punishments and] rewards for sin and goodness are listed for the purpose of amplifying this idea.

Śāriputra!
I expound this seal of the Dharma
In order to benefit
[All living beings] of the world.

The wondrous li of the One Vehicle can have no obstruction. Like the seals of the kings there is no place it cannot pass through.

Śāriputra!
With this parable I expounded
The teaching of the One Buddha-Vehicle
To all living beings.
All of you will be able to attain
The enlightenment of the Buddha
If you believe and receive
These words of mine.

When a statement is lofty [in nature], as a rule, those who follow it are few. li is so deep that certainly very few believe in it. It has been said earlier of the path (tao) of the One Vehicle that its purport is very profound, far-reaching, dark, and signless. It will be pretty difficult for those with a shallow consciousness to have faith in it. The next [verses] illustrate that [the Buddha] cannot commit falsehood by saying, for the sake of men, encouraging words, and by offering rewards. Thus, how could those who are inclined to the [right] direction not drive themselves to believe in and understand them?

He was a very rich man.
He had many storehouses.
He made many large carts
Adorned with treasures,
Such as gold, silver,
Lapis lazuli, shell and agate.

The li of the Greater Vehicle is not “made.” But the sons did not know about it earlier; [the Buddha] made them know of it: therefore it was “made.”

At that time the house-owner
Was standing outside the gate [door].
He heard a man say to him:
“Some time ago
Your children entered this house to play.
They are young and ignorant.
They are engrossed in playing.”
Hearing this,
The rich man was frightened.
He rushed into the burning house.

The next three verses are the chant of the third paragraph, concerning the saving of beings by the Buddha out of [his] great compassion. The Thus Come One has transcended the three spheres: he is “standing outside the door.”

[They] were born out of the transformative teaching they had received previously; they are “sons.” The li of the transformative teaching is outside the three spheres; later they themselves chose to deviate from the transformative teaching to immerse themselves again in the five desires: they were “in play.” Because of them (desires), they were reincarnated, they entered this house.” “The householder” having come, the previous conditions also have been reactivated. The subtle triggering mechanism has temporarily become “human speech”; (“someone say”) in order to actively stimulate the Sage. The Sage, able to respond [to the beings] and thoroughly propagate [the transformative teaching], is obliged to listen to them.

Shortly after he went out [The man had gone a short distance from the house]
To a place in the neighborhood,
Fires broke out suddenly
In the house.

The purpose of the statement that “[the man] had gone a short distance” is to show, by pointing out that it was after he was gone that the fire broke out, that the outbreak [of calamity or suffering] comes from the multitudinous beings themselves and is not of the Buddha’s making. The fact that the Sage’s state of being, stimulated (kan) [in the previous encounter,] shortly disappeared is implied in the statement that “[the man] had gone a short distance.” The effect of the transformative teaching in the past was that the superficial and a nascent beings chose themselves to go astray from the transformative teaching. By going astray from li, they were led into mistake and sufferings; that is what suddenly a fire broke out means.

I will tell you a parable.
A rich man had a manor house.
It was old, rotten,
Broken and ruined.

The subtle triggering-mechanism [of beings] in the previous transformative teaching has actively stimulated the Sage, who then condescends to respond to them. [The process of] condescending to respond is represented in this [phrase], which means thus that “the decayed house belonged to” the Buddha.