百喻經 卷第三Sūtra of One Hundred Parables · Fascicle 3

Placement of the passage as a whole. This unit is the whole of Fascicle 3 of the Sūtra of One Hundred Parables: the fascicle title 「百喻經卷第三」—“Sūtra of One Hundred Parables, Fascicle 3”〔T04 0549b19〕; the author’s attribution 「尊者僧伽斯那撰」—“composed by the venerable Sengqiesina”〔T04 0549b21〕; the translator’s attribution 「蕭齊天竺三藏求那毘地譯」—“translated by Qiunapidi, Tripiṭaka master from India, under the Southern Qi”〔T04 0549b22〕; a table of contents at the head of the fascicle with twenty-four titles; twenty-four parables (parables 42 to 65 in the sūtra’s sequence of parables); and the closing title at the end of the fascicle, 「百喻經卷第三」—“Sūtra of One Hundred Parables, Fascicle 3”〔T04 0553b06〕. There are 4,864 Chinese characters in the fascicle. There is no preface in this fascicle. There are two verses: eight lines after the application of Parable 59 〔0551c20–c27〕, and four lines forming the application of Parable 60 〔0552a09–a12〕. Each parable first narrates what a fool did (the parable), and then, with an application passage, points out the Dharma it illustrates (the application); all twenty-four parables have an application. The speakers within the parables are assigned according to the base text’s markers 「答言」—“answered,” 「語言」—“said to,” 「問言」—“asked,” 「而作是言」—“and said,” and the like; in Parable 56, 「二人」—“the two men” are the two who helped push the cart, 「二人之中其一人」—“one of the two men” is one and the same person as the 「其一人言」—“that one man said” that follows, and 「其人」—“that man” is the man who demanded the thing; the indirect speech in Parables 48·54·58·61·62·64·65 is rendered as narration and not changed into direct quotation; in Parable 57 the application from 「凡物須時」—“All things must wait for their time” onward, and in Parable 58 the explanation of the modes of discourse within the application, are all the words of the author. This sūtra has no alternate translation and no line-by-line ancient commentary. The Taishō collation notes anchored in this fascicle number seventy-four (eight of them revision lines of the current collated edition), and in addition there are seven records of variant readings at repeated occurrences of the same character, without note numbers; see the ninth topic.

I. Doctrinal-Outline Placement

The place of Fascicle 3—this sūtra has four fascicles; Fascicle 1 holds parables 1 to 21, Fascicle 2 holds parables 22 to 41, and this is the third fascicle, holding parables 42 to 65; Fascicle 4 holds parables 66 to 98. The head of the fascicle in the base text:

「百喻經卷第三」—“Sūtra of One Hundred Parables, Fascicle 3”〔T04 0549b19〕 「尊者僧伽斯那撰」—“composed by the venerable Sengqiesina”〔T04 0549b21〕 「蕭齊天竺三藏求那毘地譯」—“translated by Qiunapidi, Tripiṭaka master from India, under the Southern Qi”〔T04 0549b22〕

The closing title at the end of the fascicle likewise reads 「百喻經卷第三」—“Sūtra of One Hundred Parables, Fascicle 3”〔T04 0553b06〕. Between the head of this fascicle and the first parable there is no preface. The Song, Yuan, and Ming editions divide the sūtra into an upper and a lower fascicle, with the boundary in this fascicle between Parable 50 and Parable 51 (Taishō notes 〔0550012〕〔0550013〕; see the ninth topic).

The table of contents at the head of the fascicle (verbatim from the base text, twenty-four titles):

「估客駝死喻　磨大石喻　欲食半餅喻　奴守門喻　偷犛牛喻　貧人能作鴛鴦鳴喻　野干為折樹枝所打喻　小兒爭分別毛喻　醫治脊僂喻　五人買婢共使作喻　伎兒作樂喻　師患脚付二弟子喻　蛇頭尾共爭在前喻　願為王剃鬚喻　索無物喻　蹋長者口喻　二子分財喻　觀作瓶喻　見水底金影喻　梵天弟子造物因喻　病人食雉肉喻　伎兒着戲羅剎服共相驚怖喻　人謂故屋中有惡鬼喻　五百歡喜丸喻」—“The Merchant Whose Camel Died; Grinding a Great Stone; Wanting to Eat Half a Cake; The Servant Who Guarded the Door; Stealing the Yak; The Poor Man Who Cried Like a Mandarin Duck; The Jackal Struck by a Broken Branch; The Boys Who Quarrelled over a Tuft of Hair; Treating a Hunched Back; Five Men Who Bought One Slave Girl; The Musician’s Performance; The Teacher’s Sore Legs and His Two Disciples; The Snake’s Head and Tail Quarrelling over Who Goes First; Asking to Shave the King’s Beard; Demanding ‘Nothing’; Kicking the Elder’s Mouth; Two Sons Dividing the Estate; Watching the Potter Make Pots; Seeing the Reflection of Gold in the Water; Brahmā’s Disciple Who Tried to Create Things; The Sick Man Who Ate Pheasant; The Players Frightened by the Rākṣasa Costume; The Old House Said to Have a Demon; The Five Hundred Joy Pills”〔T04 0549b23〕

Seven titles in the table of contents run across two lines: 「奴守門喻」—“The Servant Who Guarded the Door” runs across 〔0549b23–b24〕, 「師患脚付二弟子喻」—“The Teacher’s Sore Legs and His Two Disciples” across 〔0549b27–b28〕, 「願為王剃鬚喻」—“Asking to Shave the King’s Beard” across 〔0549b28–b29〕, 「二子分財喻」—“Two Sons Dividing the Estate” across 〔0549b29–c01〕, 「梵天弟子造物因喻」—“Brahmā’s Disciple Who Tried to Create Things” across 〔0549c01–c02〕, 「伎兒着戲羅剎服共相驚怖喻」—“The Players Frightened by the Rākṣasa Costume” across 〔0549c02–c03〕, and 「人謂故屋中有惡鬼喻」—“The Old House Said to Have a Demon” across 〔0549c03–c04〕. Two titles in the table of contents differ from the titles at the head of the parables; they are recorded together, without adjudication (the reader-facing parable titles follow the titles at the head of the parables):

• Parable 47: the table of contents has 「貧人能作鴛鴦鳴喻」—“the parable of the poor man who could cry like a mandarin duck”〔T04 0549b24〕; the head of the parable has 「（四七）貧人作鴛鴦鳴喻」—“(47) the parable of the poor man who cried like a mandarin duck”〔T04 0550b07〕. The Taishō note 〔0550004〕 on the title at the head of the parable records 「人【大】，人能【明】」—“‘man’ in the Taishō; ‘man could’ in the Ming edition”; that is, in the Ming edition the title at the head of the parable has the character 「能」—“could,” the same as the table of contents (see the ninth topic).
• Parable 63: the table of contents has 「伎兒着戲羅剎服共相驚怖喻」—“the parable of the players who put on the rākṣasa costume of their plays and frightened one another”〔T04 0549c02〕; the head of the parable has 「（六三）伎兒著戲羅剎服共相驚怖喻」—“(63) the parable of the players who put on the rākṣasa costume of their plays and frightened one another”〔T04 0552b13〕. The difference between the character forms 「着」—“put on” and 「著」—“put on” has no collation note, and is recorded as it stands.

In the other twenty-two titles, the table of contents and the head of the parable agree word for word (including the 「脚」—“legs” of Parable 53 and the 「犛」—“yak” of Parable 46).

The sequence of the twenty-four parables (the titles are verbatim from the head of each parable, here given in English; “Han” is the count of Chinese characters from the title line of the parable to the line before the title of the next parable; the type follows the base text’s own markers 「言」—“said,” 「答」—“answered,” and 「問」—“asked”):

The 797 in the row of Parable 65 does not include the closing title of the fascicle that follows it (6); the colophon and table of contents before the head of the first parable come to 175. In total: the twenty-four parables 4,683, the head of the fascicle 175, the closing title 6; 4,864 in all.

II. Collation with the Alternate Translations

This sūtra has no alternate translation. Of the seventy-four note numbers and seventy-five variant readings of the Taishō collation notes anchored in this fascicle, not one marks the number of an alternate translation, nor is there any mark of a parallel in another sūtra. The other sūtras of miscellaneous parables of the same kind are not alternate translations of this sūtra; they are not collated, and no comparison of our own making is set up.

III. Scriptural and Treatise Grounding (the “eye”)

This sūtra is the author’s gathering of parables to make the Dharma clear; the Dharma that each application points out is listed below parable by parable. Of other sūtras, only words identical, word for word, in the base text of the Saṃyukta Āgama as this edition carries it are taken (anchors beginning with T02), and only the shared word is recorded; the other sūtra is not used to explain this parable, nor this parable to explain the other sūtra; where the context of the other sūtra differs from the matter of this parable, nothing further is said. Where no shared word is found, it is recorded as ‘no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand,’ together with the words that were searched; where the other sūtra has the characters but the word differs in sense, it is recorded as ‘the words differ, and it is not listed.’

Parable 42 · heedlessness · the precept against killing · the Buddha’s Dharma body · wealth and goods · stupas and temples · the assembly of monks · the five paths

• This sūtra: 「天雨濕爛喻於放逸敗壞善行」—“the rain falling and the soaking and rotting stand for heedlessness, which ruins good conduct”〔T04 0549c13〕; 「不殺戒者即佛法身最上妙因」—“The precept against killing is the supreme and wondrous cause of the Buddha’s Dharma body”〔T04 0549c14〕; 「但以財貨造諸塔廟供養眾僧」—“but only use wealth and goods to build all kinds of stupas and temples and make offerings to the assembly of monks”〔T04 0549c15〕; 「漂浪五道莫能自出」—“they drift and wander in the five paths and cannot get out by themselves”〔T04 0549c16〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「正使放逸」—“even if one is heedless”〔T02 0043a12〕—the same word 「放逸」—“heedlessness”; 「云何危脆敗壞」—“how is it fragile and subject to ruin?”〔T02 0056b15〕—the same word 「敗壞」—“ruin”; 「攝受眾僧」—“gathering in the assembly of monks”〔T02 0071c27〕—the same word 「眾僧」—“the assembly of monks.”

In the other sūtra, 「不殺」—“not killing” and 「法身」—“Dharma body” occur as characters, but the words differ, and they are not listed. ‘The precept against killing,’ ‘the Buddha’s Dharma body,’ ‘wealth and goods,’ ‘stupas and temples,’ and ‘the five paths’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: the precept against killing · the Buddha’s Dharma body · wealth and goods · stupas and temples · the five paths).

Parable 43 · learning · diligence · fame · a supreme fruit · reputation · arrogance · conceit · faults and troubles

• This sūtra: 「磨大石者喻於學問精勤勞苦」—“grinding the great stone stands for being vigorous and diligent, toiling and laboring, in learning”〔T04 0549c21〕; 「作小牛者喻於名聞互相是非」—“making the little ox stands for seeking fame and disputing with one another over right and wrong”〔T04 0549c22〕; 「宜應履行遠求勝果」—“they ought to put it into practice themselves and seek far off a supreme fruit”〔T04 0549c23〕; 「方求名譽憍慢貢高，增長過患」—“instead they seek reputation, are arrogant and conceited, and increase their faults and troubles”〔T04 0549c24〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「精勤修習」—“diligently cultivating”〔T02 0003b10〕—the same word 「精勤」—“diligence”; 「卑慢、憍慢」—“lowly pride, arrogance”〔T02 0049a11〕—the same word 「憍慢」—“arrogance”; 「欲貪有何過患」—“what faults and troubles are there in desire and greed?”〔T02 0033c26〕—the same word 「過患」—“faults and troubles.”

In the other sūtra, 「是非」—“right and wrong” occurs as characters, but the word differs, and it is not listed. ‘Learning,’ ‘fame,’ ‘a supreme fruit,’ ‘reputation,’ and ‘conceit’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: learning · fame · a supreme fruit · reputation · conceit).

Parable 44 · the notion of pleasure · wealth and rank · the three times · the three realms · great suffering · ordinary people · inverted delusion

• This sūtra: 「其癡倒橫生樂想」—“because of folly and inversion, they wrongly give rise to the notion of pleasure”〔T04 0550a02〕; 「世人無知以富貴為樂」—“people of the world, without knowing, take wealth and rank to be pleasure”〔T04 0550a03〕; 「於三時中都無有樂」—“in these three times there is no pleasure at all”〔T04 0550a05〕; 「三界無安，皆是大苦，凡夫倒惑，橫生樂想」—“The three realms have no peace; all is great suffering; ordinary people, inverted and deluded, wrongly give rise to the notion of pleasure”〔T04 0550a06〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「是則大苦」—“this then is great suffering”〔T02 0013a01〕—the same word 「大苦」—“great suffering”; 「無聞凡夫於色見是我」—“the unlearned ordinary person sees form as the self”〔T02 0010c23〕—the same word 「凡夫」—“ordinary person.”

‘The notion of pleasure,’ ‘wealth and rank,’ ‘the three times,’ ‘the three realms,’ and ‘inverted delusion’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: the notion of pleasure · wealth and rank · the three times · the three realms · inverted delusion).

Parable 45 · the doors of the senses · the six sense objects · ignorance · craving · bhikṣus · gain and offerings · the five desires · forms, sounds, odours, and tastes · right mindfulness · the factors of awakening · the factors of the path

• This sūtra: 「如來教誡常護根門，莫著六塵」—“the Tathāgata teaches and admonishes them always to guard the doors of the senses, not to be attached to the six sense objects”〔T04 0550a17〕; 「守無明驢看於愛索」—“to keep watch over the donkey of ignorance and look after the rope of craving”〔T04 0550a18〕; 「貪求利養詐現清白靜處而坐」—“greedily seeking gain and offerings, they make a false show of purity and sit in a quiet place”〔T04 0550a19〕; 「為色聲香味之所惑亂」—“bewildered and disturbed by forms, sounds, odours, and tastes”〔T04 0550a20〕; 「正念覺意道品財寶悉皆散失」—“the treasures of right mindfulness, the factors of awakening, and the factors of the path are all scattered and lost”〔T04 0550a21〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「關閉諸根門」—“closing the doors of the senses”〔T02 0063c08〕—the same word 「根門」—“the doors of the senses”; 「愚癡無聞凡夫以無明故」—“the foolish, unlearned ordinary person, because of ignorance”〔T02 0011b07〕—the same word 「無明」—“ignorance”; 「世尊告諸比丘」—“the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus”〔T02 0001a07〕—the same word 「比丘」—“bhikṣu”; 「以求於利養」—“to seek gain and offerings”〔T02 0063c16〕—the same word 「利養」—“gain and offerings”; 「若無五欲娛樂」—“if there were no amusement in the five desires”〔T02 0045b29〕—the same word 「五欲」—“the five desires”; 「色、聲、香、味、觸、法」—“forms, sounds, odours, tastes, tangibles, and dharmas”〔T02 0050c21〕—the same words 「色」—“forms,” 「聲」—“sounds,” 「香」—“odours,” and 「味」—“tastes”; 「正方便、正念、正定」—“right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration”〔T02 0018c08〕—the same word 「正念」—“right mindfulness”; 「具諸道品」—“complete in the factors of the path”〔T02 0035a10〕—the same word 「道品」—“the factors of the path.”

‘The six sense objects’ and ‘the factors of awakening’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: the six sense objects · the factors of awakening).

Parable 46 · breaking the precepts · offenses · concealing · bringing to light · hell · the gods · the good spirits · the divine eye

• This sūtra: 「破戒之人亦復如是，覆藏罪過不肯發露」—“Those who break the precepts are so too: they conceal their offenses and are unwilling to bring them to light”〔T04 0550b04〕; 「死入地獄，諸天善神以天眼觀不得覆藏」—“after death they enter hell; the gods and the good spirits look with the divine eye, and they cannot conceal them”〔T04 0550b05〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「罪過者，若殺、若縛」—“offenses: whether killing or binding”〔T02 0036a07〕—the same word 「罪過」—“offenses”; 「無所覆藏」—“with nothing concealed”〔T02 0066c20〕—the same word 「覆藏」—“concealing”; 「當墮地獄」—“will fall into hell”〔T02 0077c16〕—the same word 「地獄」—“hell”; 「我於諸天、若魔、若梵」—“I, among the gods, whether Māra or Brahmā”〔T02 0002c03〕—the same word 「諸天」—“the gods.”

‘Breaking the precepts,’ ‘bringing to light,’ ‘the good spirits,’ and ‘the divine eye’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: breaking the precepts · bringing to light · the good spirits · the divine eye).

Parable 47 · evil deeds · the workings of the mind · the end of life · cultivating the good · the hell wardens · King Yama

• This sūtra: 「終身殘害作眾惡業」—“all their lives they do cruel harm and commit all kinds of evil deeds”〔T04 0550b16〕; 「不習心行使令調善」—“not training the workings of the mind to make it tamed and good”〔T04 0550b17〕; 「獄卒將去付閻羅王」—“The hell wardens take them away and hand them over to King Yama”〔T04 0550b18〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「身壞命終」—“when the body breaks up and life ends”〔T02 0030c15〕—the same word 「命終」—“the end of life.”

In the other sūtra, 「心行」—“the workings of the mind” occurs as characters, but the word differs, and it is not listed. ‘Evil deeds,’ ‘cultivating the good,’ ‘the hell wardens,’ and ‘Yama’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: evil deeds · cultivating the good · the hell wardens · Yama).

Parable 48 · leaving home · teachers and elders · rebuke · bad friends · folly and delusion

• This sūtra: 「已得出家得近師長，以小呵責即便逃走」—“they have been able to leave home and to draw near to their teachers and elders, yet because of a small rebuke they run away”〔T04 0550b26〕; 「遇惡知識惱亂不已」—“they meet bad friends and are harassed without end”〔T04 0550b27〕; 「如是去來是為愚惑」—“To come and go like this is folly and delusion”〔T04 0550b28〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「出家，剃除鬚髮」—“leaving home, shaving off beard and hair”〔T02 0003a11〕—the same word 「出家」—“leaving home”; 「問而呵責者」—“those who ask and rebuke”〔T02 0020c20〕—the same word 「呵責」—“rebuke”; 「處愁、慼、惡知識」—“abiding in sorrow and grief, and with bad friends”〔T02 0048c02〕—the same word 「惡知識」—“bad friends.”

‘Teachers and elders’ and ‘folly and delusion’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: teachers and elders · folly and delusion).

Parable 49 · expounding the Dharma · idle play · the right principle

• This sūtra: 「說法之時戲論諸法不答正理」—“when they expound the Dharma, they make idle play of the dharmas and do not answer with the right principle”〔T04 0550c08〕; 「浮漫虛說亦復如是」—“Expounding the Dharma in a loose and empty way is so too”〔T04 0550c09〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「我略說法要」—“I will briefly expound the essentials of the Dharma”〔T02 0003a09〕—the same word 「說法」—“expounding the Dharma.”

‘Idle play’ and ‘the right principle’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: idle play · the right principle).

Parable 50 · cultivating merit · what is not in accord with the Dharma · hell

• This sūtra: 「為修福故，治生估販作諸非法」—“for the sake of cultivating merit, they make a living by trading and selling and do all kinds of things that are not in accord with the Dharma”〔T04 0550c14〕; 「將來之世入於地獄」—“in the age to come they enter hell”〔T04 0550c15〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「長夜修福，得諸勝妙可愛果報之事」—“cultivating merit through the long night, one obtains things of excellent, wonderful, and lovely fruition and retribution”〔T02 0067c17〕—the same word 「修福」—“cultivating merit”; 「為是法、為非法」—“whether it is the Dharma or not the Dharma”〔T02 0020c16〕—the same word 「非法」—“not in accord with the Dharma”; for the same word 地獄 (“hell”) see Parable 46.

Parable 51 · the five aggregates · afflictions · causes and conditions · birth, old age, sickness, and death · suffering and vexation · beings

• This sūtra: 「五陰亦爾」—“The five aggregates are so too”〔T04 0550c21〕; 「煩惱因緣合成此身」—“this body is formed by the causes and conditions of the afflictions”〔T04 0550c22〕; 「恒以生老病死無量苦惱搒笞眾生」—“constantly flog beings with birth, old age, sickness, and death, and measureless suffering and vexation”〔T04 0550c22〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「為說五陰」—“expounds the five aggregates for them”〔T02 0014b23〕—the same word 「五陰」—“the five aggregates”; 「瞋恚、愚癡及餘種種上煩惱心法」—“anger, delusion, and the various other mental factors of the secondary afflictions”〔T02 0013b21〕—the same word 「煩惱」—“afflictions”; 「謂色因緣生喜樂」—“namely, joy and pleasure that arise with form as cause and condition”〔T02 0009b15〕—the same word 「因緣」—“causes and conditions”; 「則不能越生、老、病、死」—“then one cannot pass beyond birth, old age, sickness, and death”〔T02 0001b08〕—the same words 「生」—“birth,” 「老」—“old age,” 「病」—“sickness,” and 「死」—“death”; 「若眾生於色不」—“if beings, toward form, did not”〔T02 0002b16〕—the same word 「眾生」—“beings.”

‘Birth, old age, sickness, and death’ (the four characters written together) and ‘suffering and vexation’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: birth, old age, sickness, and death · suffering and vexation).

Parable 52 · fruition and retribution · among humans · in the heavens · impermanence · lasting long

• This sūtra: 「世間果報亦復如是」—“The fruition and retribution of the world are so too”〔T04 0550c27〕; 「人中天上雖受少樂亦無有實」—“among humans and in the heavens, though one enjoys a little pleasure, it too has no reality”〔T04 0550c28〕; 「無常敗滅不得久住」—“it is impermanent, decays and perishes, and cannot last long”〔T04 0550c28〕
• The same word in another sūtra: for the same word 果報 (“fruition and retribution”) see the entry listed under Parable 50 〔T02 0067c17〕; 「人中王為最」—“among humans the king is foremost”〔T02 0037b09〕—the same word 「人中」—“among humans”; 「在處天上」—“dwelling in the heavens”〔T02 0315a04〕—the same word 「天上」—“in the heavens”; 「當觀色無常」—“one should contemplate form as impermanent”〔T02 0001a07〕—the same word 「無常」—“impermanent”; 「如是久住」—“thus abiding long”〔T02 0019a24〕—the same word 「久住」—“lasting long.”

‘Decaying and perishing’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (word searched: decaying and perishing).

Parable 53 · students · the Vaipulya · the Lesser Vehicle · the Great Sage · the Dharma canon

• This sūtra: 「佛法學徒亦復如是」—“The students of the Buddha’s Dharma are so too”〔T04 0551a06〕; 「方等學者非斥小乘，小乘學者復非方等」—“those who study the Vaipulya condemn and reject the Lesser Vehicle, and those who study the Lesser Vehicle in turn condemn the Vaipulya”〔T04 0551a07〕; 「故使大聖法典二途兼亡」—“and so they cause the Dharma canon of the Great Sage to perish on both paths together”〔T04 0551a07〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「我有年少弟子」—“I have a young disciple”〔T02 0013a20〕—the same word 「弟子」—“disciple.”

‘Students,’ ‘the Vaipulya,’ ‘the Lesser Vehicle,’ ‘the Great Sage,’ and ‘the Dharma canon’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: students · the Vaipulya · the Lesser Vehicle · the Great Sage · the Dharma canon).

Parable 54 · teachers and disciples · the old · the young · leaders · the precepts and discipline · hell

• This sūtra: 「師徒弟子亦復如是，言師耆老每恒在前」—“Teachers and disciples are so too: they say that the teacher is old and is always in front”〔T04 0551a13〕; 「如是年少不閑戒律多有所犯」—“Young ones like these, unversed in the precepts and discipline, commit many offenses”〔T04 0551a14〕; 「因即相牽入於地獄」—“and so they drag one another into hell”〔T04 0551a15〕
• The same word in another sūtra: for the same word 年少 (“young”) see the entry listed under Parable 53 〔T02 0013a20〕; 「布薩象王最為導首」—“the elephant king Busa is foremost as the leader”〔T02 0067c28〕—the same word 「導首」—“leader”; for the same word 地獄 (“hell”) see Parable 46.

‘The old’ and ‘the precepts and discipline’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: the old · the precepts and discipline).

Parable 55 · the buddhas · measureless kalpas · austerities · accomplishing buddhahood · the Dharma left behind · the human body · the blind turtle · the floating log · nirvāṇa · supreme and wondrous · wrong practices

• This sūtra: 「諸佛於無量劫，難行苦行自致成佛」—“the buddhas, through measureless kalpas, practiced austerities hard to perform and themselves accomplished buddhahood”〔T04 0551a22〕; 「若得遇佛及值遺法」—“One may be able to meet a buddha, or to come upon the Dharma he left behind”〔T04 0551a23〕; 「人身難得譬如盲龜值浮木孔」—“the human body is hard to obtain, like a blind turtle coming upon the hole in a floating log”〔T04 0551a24〕; 「不求涅槃勝妙法也」—“do not seek the supreme and wondrous Dharma of nirvāṇa”〔T04 0551a26〕; 「自行邪事」—“go about wrong practices themselves”〔T04 0551a26〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「諸佛如來說第二住」—“the buddhas, the tathāgatas, speak of the second abiding”〔T02 0089a01〕—the same word 「諸佛」—“the buddhas”; 「我今持戒、苦行、修諸梵行」—“I now keep the precepts, practice austerities, and cultivate the holy life”〔T02 0315a03〕—the same word 「苦行」—“austerities”; 「得見法涅槃」—“attains nirvāṇa seen in the present”〔T02 0006a03〕—the same word 「涅槃」—“nirvāṇa”; 「勝妙法，汝今諦聽」—“the supreme and wondrous Dharma—listen now attentively”〔T02 0066c23〕—the same word 「勝妙法」—“the supreme and wondrous Dharma.”

‘Measureless kalpas,’ ‘accomplishing buddhahood,’ ‘the Dharma left behind,’ ‘the blind turtle,’ ‘the floating log,’ and ‘wrong practices’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: measureless kalpas · accomplishing buddhahood · the Dharma left behind · the blind turtle · the floating log · wrong practices).

Parable 56 · the worldly · ordinary people · the Station of Nothingness · a provisional name · signlessness · wishlessness · non-action

• This sūtra: 「二字共合是為假名」—“the two words joined together; it is only a provisional name”〔T04 0551b08〕; 「世俗凡夫若無物者」—“Worldly ordinary people, if they grasp at ‘nothing’”〔T04 0551b08〕; 「便生無所有處」—“are reborn in the Station of Nothingness”〔T04 0551b09〕; 「即是無相無願無作」—“is signlessness, wishlessness, and non-action”〔T04 0551b09〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「世俗者，是名有漏法」—“the worldly: this is called the dharmas with outflows”〔T02 0056a13〕—the same word 「世俗」—“the worldly”; 「而起無相、無所有」—“and gives rise to the signless, to nothingness”〔T02 0020a28〕—the same word 「無相」—“signlessness”; for the same word 凡夫 (“ordinary person”) see Parable 44.

In the other sūtra, 「無所有」—“nothingness” (not joined with 「處」—“station”) and 「無作」—“non-action” (joined with 「者」—“one who”) occur as characters, but the words differ, and they are not listed. ‘The Station of Nothingness,’ ‘wishlessness,’ and ‘a provisional name’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: the Station of Nothingness · wishlessness · a provisional name).

Parable 57 · the right time · what is not the right time

• This sūtra: 「凡物須時，時未及到」—“All things must wait for their time; when the time has not yet come”〔T04 0551b20〕; 「世人當知時與非時」—“people of the world should know what is the right time and what is not”〔T04 0551b22〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「今是非時」—“now is not the right time”〔T02 0062a03〕—the same word 「非時」—“not the right time.”

Parable 58 · followers of other paths · the discourse of distinctions · modes of discourse · the definite answer · the answer by distinction · the answer by counter-question · the answer by setting aside · the fourteen difficult questions · the three evil paths · the gods · bounded · boundless · the exhaustion of craving · having craving · kṣatriya

• This sūtra: 「昔摩羅國有一剎利」—“Once in the land of Moluo there was a kṣatriya”〔T04 0551b24〕; 「如諸外道偏修分別論」—“just like the followers of other paths, who one-sidedly cultivate the discourse of distinctions”〔T04 0551c03〕; 「有決定答論門」—“There is the mode of discourse of the definite answer”〔T04 0551c04〕; 「愛盡者無生，有愛必有生，是名分別答論門」—“one whose craving is exhausted is not born again, and one who has craving is sure to be born again; this is called the mode of discourse of the answer by distinction”〔T04 0551c05〕; 「汝問三惡道」—“are you asking with respect to the three evil paths”〔T04 0551c07〕; 「名反問答論門」—“are called the mode of discourse of the answer by counter-question”〔T04 0551c09〕; 「若問十四難」—“If one is asked the fourteen difficult questions”〔T04 0551c10〕; 「名置答論門」—“are called the mode of discourse of the answer by setting aside”〔T04 0551c11〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「若剎利、若婆羅門」—“whether kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa”〔T02 0033c20〕—the same word 「剎利」—“kṣatriya”; 「若外道出家來問我言」—“if those gone forth among the followers of other paths come and ask me”〔T02 0012b14〕—the same word 「外道」—“followers of other paths”; 「趣三惡道」—“heading for the three evil paths”〔T02 0043a12〕—the same word 「三惡道」—“the three evil paths”; 「行到世界邊者」—“one who goes to reach the end of the world”〔T02 0056c14〕—the same word 「世界」—“the world”; 「我有邊，餘則虛名；我無邊」—“the self is bounded—all else is an empty name; the self is boundless”〔T02 0045a20〕—the same words 「有邊」—“bounded” and 「無邊」—“boundless”; 「餘愛盡、無欲、滅盡、涅槃」—“the remaining craving exhausted, without desire, extinguished, nirvāṇa”〔T02 0015c22〕—the same word 「愛盡」—“the exhaustion of craving”; 「謂受當來有愛」—“namely, the craving for existence that takes up what is to come”〔T02 0018b21〕—the same word 「有愛」—“having craving”; for the same word 諸天 (“the gods”) see Parable 46.

In the other sūtra, 「決定」—“definite” and 「分別」—“distinction” occur as characters, but the words differ, and they are not listed. ‘The discourse of distinctions,’ ‘modes of discourse,’ ‘the fourteen difficult questions,’ ‘asking back,’ and ‘the answer by setting aside’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: the discourse of distinctions · modes of discourse · the fourteen difficult questions · asking back · the answer by setting aside).

Parable 59 · impermanence · the buddhas · the Dharma rain · the evil paths · the true Dharma · the benefit of the Dharma · liberation

• This sūtra: 「修理家務不覺非常」—“managing and arranging the affairs of the household, they do not perceive impermanence”〔T04 0551c19〕; 「諸佛大龍出，雷音遍世間」—“the buddhas come forth like great dragons, their thunder filling the world”〔T04 0551c21〕; 「法雨無障礙」—“the Dharma rain falls without obstruction”〔T04 0551c22〕; 「常處惡道窮」—“dwell always in the evil paths, destitute”〔T04 0551c24〕; 「背棄放正法」—“Turning their backs on and casting off the true Dharma”〔T04 0551c25〕; 「是故失法利」—“therefore he loses the benefit of the Dharma”〔T04 0551c26〕; 「永無解脫時」—“and forever has no time of liberation”〔T04 0551c27〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「非常耶」—“is it impermanent?”〔T02 0015a18〕—the same word 「非常」—“impermanence”; 「以大法雨，雨我身中」—“with the great Dharma rain, raining upon my body”〔T02 0064b11〕—the same word 「法雨」—“the Dharma rain”; 「不墮惡道」—“does not fall into the evil paths”〔T02 0016a13〕—the same word 「惡道」—“the evil paths”; 「於正法中，得無所畏」—“within the true Dharma, one attains fearlessness”〔T02 0006b27〕—the same word 「正法」—“the true Dharma”; 「說心解脫」—“speaks of the liberation of the mind”〔T02 0001a09〕—the same word 「解脫」—“liberation”; for the same word 諸佛 (“the buddhas”) see Parable 55.

‘Great dragons,’ ‘thunder,’ ‘the benefit of the Dharma,’ and ‘the affairs of the household’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: great dragons · thunder · the benefit of the Dharma · the affairs of the household).

Parable 60 · ordinary people · no self · the aggregates · the notion of a self

• This sūtra: 「凡夫愚癡人，無智亦如是」—“Foolish ordinary people, without wisdom, are so too”〔T04 0552a09〕; 「於無我陰中，橫生有我想」—“within the aggregates, which have no self, they wrongly give rise to the notion of a self”〔T04 0552a10〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「以色無我故」—“because form is without self”〔T02 0007b25〕—the same word 「無我」—“no self”; 「我想、我所想」—“the notion of a self, the notion of what belongs to a self”〔T02 0031c05〕—the same word 「我想」—“the notion of a self”; for the same word 凡夫 (“ordinary person”) see Parable 44.

Parable 61 · brāhmaṇas · Brahmā · the ten thousand things · one’s own karma · the two extremes · annihilation · permanence · the eightfold right path · followers of other paths · not the Dharma

• This sūtra: 「大梵天王是世間父，能造萬物」—“The Great Brahmā King is the father of the world, and can create the ten thousand things”〔T04 0552a14〕; 「各各自業」—“each and every one … by its own karma”〔T04 0552a21〕; 「非梵天能造」—“not something Brahmā can create”〔T04 0552a22〕; 「諸佛說法不著二邊」—“When the buddhas expound the Dharma, they are not attached to the two extremes”〔T04 0552a22〕; 「如似八正道說法」—“and expound the Dharma in accordance with the eightfold right path”〔T04 0552a23〕; 「所說實是非法」—“what they say is in truth not the Dharma”〔T04 0552a25〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「從梵天沒」—“passing away from the Brahmā heaven”〔T02 0071c23〕—the same word 「梵天」—“Brahmā”; 「如來離於二邊，說於中道」—“the Tathāgata, leaving the two extremes, expounds the middle way”〔T02 0067a04〕—the same word 「二邊」—“the two extremes”; 「譬八正道」—“like the eightfold right path”〔T02 0313c23〕—the same word 「八正道」—“the eightfold right path”; 「復作斷見」—“and again forms the view of annihilation”〔T02 0014b06〕—the same word 「斷見」—“the view of annihilation” (this sūtra has 「見斷見常」—“having seen annihilation and seen permanence”); for the same word 婆羅門 (“brāhmaṇa”) see the entry listed under Parable 58 〔T02 0033c20〕; for the same word 外道 (“followers of other paths”) see Parable 58; for the same word 非法 (“not the Dharma”) see Parable 50.

‘The ten thousand things’ and ‘one’s own karma’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: the ten thousand things · one’s own karma).

Parable 62 · followers of other paths · the Buddha and the bodhisattvas · the good physician · the mind and consciousness · the view of permanence · arising and perishing moment by moment · not permanent · not annihilated

• This sūtra: 「聞佛菩薩無上良醫說言」—“they hear the Buddha and the bodhisattvas, the unsurpassed good physicians, say”〔T04 0552b04〕; 「當解心識」—“that one should understand the mind and consciousness”〔T04 0552b05〕; 「外道等執於常見」—“the followers of other paths cling to the view of permanence”〔T04 0552b05〕; 「一切諸法念念生滅」—“all dharmas arise and perish moment by moment”〔T04 0552b08〕; 「諸法壞故不常，續故不斷」—“dharmas, because they decay, are not permanent, and because they continue, are not annihilated”〔T04 0552b11〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「彼色若壞、若異，心識」—“if that form decays or changes, the mind and consciousness”〔T02 0033b11〕—the same word 「心識」—“the mind and consciousness”; 「則是常見」—“that is the view of permanence”〔T02 0032a12〕—the same word 「常見」—“the view of permanence”; 「生滅法」—“dharmas of arising and perishing”〔T02 0012b03〕—the same word 「生滅」—“arising and perishing”; for the same word 外道 (“followers of other paths”) see Parable 58.

‘The good physician,’ ‘moment by moment,’ and ‘not permanent’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: the good physician · moment by moment · not permanent).

Parable 63 · afflictions · good dharmas · permanence, bliss, self, and purity · the food of the Dharma · the five aggregates · the view of self · birth and death · the three evil destinies · the evil realms · wisdom · a true self · rākṣasa

• This sūtra: 「素饒惡鬼食人羅剎」—“had long been full of evil ghosts and man-eating rākṣasas”〔T04 0552b15〕; 「而欲遠求常樂我淨無上法食」—“they wish to seek far off the unsurpassed food of the Dharma—permanence, bliss, self, and purity”〔T04 0552b25〕; 「以我見故流馳生死」—“Because of the view of self they flow and race through birth and death”〔T04 0552b26〕; 「墜墮三塗惡趣溝壑」—“and fall into the gullies of the three evil destinies, the evil realms”〔T04 0552b27〕; 「至天明者喻生死夜盡智慧明曉」—“Reaching daybreak stands for the long night of birth and death coming to an end and wisdom dawning bright”〔T04 0552b27〕; 「方知五陰無有真我」—“only then do they know that in the five aggregates there is no true self”〔T04 0552b28〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「羅剎女鬼」—“female rākṣasa demons”〔T02 0054c10〕—the same word 「羅剎」—“rākṣasa”; 「於五受陰生我見繫著」—“gives rise to the view of self and is bound fast to the five aggregates of clinging”〔T02 0016a22〕—the same word 「我見」—“the view of self”; 「竟無始生死」—“birth and death that in the end has no beginning”〔T02 0018c26〕—the same word 「生死」—“birth and death”; 「無善趣、惡趣業」—“there is no karma of good destinies or of evil realms”〔T02 0043c24〕—the same word 「惡趣」—“the evil realms”; 「智慧如實見」—“wisdom sees as it really is”〔T02 0002c14〕—the same word 「智慧」—“wisdom”; for the same words 煩惱 (“afflictions”) and 五陰 (“the five aggregates”) see Parable 51.

‘Permanence, bliss, self, and purity,’ ‘the food of the Dharma,’ ‘the three evil destinies,’ and ‘a true self’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: permanence, bliss, self, and purity · the food of the Dharma · the three evil destinies · a true self).

Parable 64 · causes and conditions · a master · right and wrong · quarrels and disputes

• This sūtra: 「因緣暫會無有宰主」—“causes and conditions come together for a while, and there is no master”〔T04 0552c09〕; 「橫計是非強生諍訟」—“wrongly reckon right and wrong, and forcibly give rise to quarrels and disputes”〔T04 0552c11〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「必生纏縛諍訟」—“will surely give rise to entanglement, bondage, quarrels, and disputes”〔T02 0058a28〕—the same word 「諍訟」—“quarrels and disputes”; for the same word 因緣 (“causes and conditions”) see Parable 51.

‘A master’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (word searched: a master).

Parable 65 · impure giving · a good friend · the gods · stream-entry · the five desires · afflictions · the worthy and noble ones · followers of other paths · slander · Māra · the fruit of the Way · a pure mind · a superior reward · a good mind · giving · the field of merit

• This sūtra: 「其婦人歡喜丸者喻不淨施」—“The woman’s joy pills stand for impure giving”〔T04 0553a22〕; 「喻得須陀洹強斷五欲并諸煩惱」—“stands for attaining stream-entry and forcibly cutting off the five desires and all the afflictions”〔T04 0553a24〕; 「喻遭值賢聖」—“stands for encountering the worthy and noble ones”〔T04 0553a25〕; 「便生誹謗言無此事」—“then give rise to slander and say there is no such thing”〔T04 0553a27〕; 「殺師子者喻破魔」—“Killing the lion stands for defeating Māra”〔T04 0553a29〕; 「既斷煩惱又伏惡魔」—“Having cut off the afflictions and also subdued the evil Māra”〔T04 0553a29〕; 「便得無着道果封賞」—“one then obtains the fruit of the Way of non-attachment as fief and reward”〔T04 0553b01〕; 「況復善心歡喜布施」—“how much more so giving joyfully with a good mind?”〔T04 0553b04〕; 「是故應當於福田所勤心修施」—“Therefore one should, in the field of merit, diligently cultivate giving”〔T04 0553b04〕
• The same word in another sūtra: 「善知識教授教誡說法」—“a good friend instructs, admonishes, and expounds the Dharma”〔T02 0067a13〕—the same word 「善知識」—“good friend”; 「未得須陀洹果」—“has not yet attained the fruit of stream-entry”〔T02 0016a07〕—the same word 「須陀洹」—“stream-entry”; 「異於賢聖法、律」—“differing from the Dharma and discipline of the worthy and noble ones”〔T02 0078b06〕—the same word 「賢聖」—“the worthy and noble ones”; 「彼摩訶迦旃延誹謗」—“that Mahākātyāyana slanders”〔T02 0063c22〕—the same word 「誹謗」—“slander”; 「此是惡魔」—“this is the evil Māra”〔T02 0059a10〕—the same word 「惡魔」—“the evil Māra”; 「一者布施」—“first, giving”〔T02 0068a29〕—the same word 「布施」—“giving”; 「為世間無上福田」—“is the unsurpassed field of merit of the world”〔T02 0093b06〕—the same word 「福田」—“field of merit”; for the same word 諸天 (“the gods”) see Parable 46, for 五欲 (“the five desires”) see Parable 45, for 煩惱 (“afflictions”) see Parable 51, and for 外道 (“followers of other paths”) see Parable 58.

In the other sūtra, 「善心」—“a good mind” occurs as characters, but the word differs, and it is not listed. ‘Impure giving,’ ‘the fruit of the Way,’ ‘a pure mind,’ and ‘a superior reward’: no verbatim grounding for this parable found in the texts on hand (words searched: impure giving · the fruit of the Way · a pure mind · a superior reward).

IV. Essentials of the Commentary on This Passage

The parables of this fascicle have no line-by-line ancient commentary. Each parable of this sūtra has its own application, explaining the matter by the Dharma; this is the sūtra’s own explanation of itself. Below are listed, parable by parable, the words of self-explanation within the application other than the application sentences (verbatim + anchor); for the opening sentences of the applications and the application sentences, already listed in the tenth topic, only the anchors are given here.

1. Parable 42—anchors 〔T04 0549c11〕〔T04 0549c17〕; 「不殺戒者即佛法身最上妙因」—“The precept against killing is the supreme and wondrous cause of the Buddha’s Dharma body”〔T04 0549c14〕; 「捨根取末不求其本」—“abandoning the root and taking the branches, not seeking the root”〔T04 0549c15〕; 「是故行者應當精心持不殺戒」—“Therefore those who practice should apply their minds with care and keep the precept against killing”〔T04 0549c16〕.
2. Parable 43—anchors 〔T04 0549c20〕〔T04 0549c24〕; 「夫為學者研思精微博通多識」—“Those who pursue learning study and ponder what is subtle and profound, are broadly versed and know much”〔T04 0549c22〕; 「宜應履行遠求勝果」—“they ought to put it into practice themselves and seek far off a supreme fruit”〔T04 0549c23〕.
3. Parable 44—anchors 〔T04 0549c29〕〔T04 0550a07〕; 「從本以來常無有樂」—“from the very beginning there has never been any pleasure”〔T04 0550a01〕; 「求時甚苦，既獲得已守護亦苦」—“when one seeks it, it is very painful; once one has obtained it, guarding it is painful too”〔T04 0550a04〕; 「於辛苦中橫生樂想」—“within hardship people wrongly give rise to the notion of pleasure”〔T04 0550a06〕.
4. Parable 45—anchors 〔T04 0550a16〕〔T04 0550a22〕; 「如來教誡常護根門，莫著六塵」—“the Tathāgata teaches and admonishes them always to guard the doors of the senses, not to be attached to the six sense objects”〔T04 0550a17〕; 「無明覆心愛索纏縛」—“ignorance covers their minds and the rope of craving binds them”〔T04 0550a20〕.
5. Parable 46—anchors 〔T04 0550b04〕〔T04 0550b06〕; 「諸天善神以天眼觀不得覆藏」—“the gods and the good spirits look with the divine eye, and they cannot conceal them”〔T04 0550b05〕.
6. Parable 47—anchors 〔T04 0550b16〕〔T04 0550b20〕; 「不習心行使令調善」—“not training the workings of the mind to make it tamed and good”〔T04 0550b17〕; 「雖欲修善亦無所及已」—“though they wish to cultivate the good, it is already too late”〔T04 0550b19〕.
7. Parable 48—anchors 〔T04 0550b25〕〔T04 0550b28〕; 「以小呵責即便逃走」—“because of a small rebuke they run away”〔T04 0550b26〕; 「如是去來是為愚惑」—“To come and go like this is folly and delusion”〔T04 0550b28〕.
8. Parable 49—anchors 〔T04 0550c07〕〔T04 0550c10〕; 「說法之時戲論諸法不答正理」—“when they expound the Dharma, they make idle play of the dharmas and do not answer with the right principle”〔T04 0550c08〕.
9. Parable 50—anchors 〔T04 0550c14〕〔T04 0550c16〕; 「其事雖成利不補害」—“though the thing is accomplished, the gain does not make up for the harm”〔T04 0550c15〕.
10. Parable 51—anchors 〔T04 0550c21〕〔T04 0550c23〕; 「煩惱因緣合成此身」—“this body is formed by the causes and conditions of the afflictions”〔T04 0550c22〕.
11. Parable 52—anchors 〔T04 0550c27〕〔T04 0550c29〕; 「人中天上雖受少樂亦無有實」—“among humans and in the heavens, though one enjoys a little pleasure, it too has no reality”〔T04 0550c28〕.
12. Parable 53—anchors 〔T04 0551a06〕〔T04 0551a08〕; 「方等學者非斥小乘，小乘學者復非方等」—“those who study the Vaipulya condemn and reject the Lesser Vehicle, and those who study the Lesser Vehicle in turn condemn the Vaipulya”〔T04 0551a07〕.
13. Parable 54—anchors 〔T04 0551a13〕〔T04 0551a15〕; 「如是年少不閑戒律多有所犯」—“Young ones like these, unversed in the precepts and discipline, commit many offenses”〔T04 0551a14〕.
14. Parable 55—anchors 〔T04 0551a22〕〔T04 0551a27〕; 「人身難得譬如盲龜值浮木孔」—“the human body is hard to obtain, like a blind turtle coming upon the hole in a floating log”〔T04 0551a24〕; 「奉持少戒便以為足」—“keeping a few precepts, they think it enough”〔T04 0551a25〕; 「不求涅槃勝妙法也」—“do not seek the supreme and wondrous Dharma of nirvāṇa”〔T04 0551a26〕.
15. Parable 56—anchors 〔T04 0551b08〕〔T04 0551b10〕; 「便生無所有處」—“are reborn in the Station of Nothingness”〔T04 0551b09〕.
16. Parable 57—anchors 〔T04 0551b20〕〔T04 0551b22〕; 「彊設功力返得苦惱」—“to force effort upon them brings only suffering and vexation instead”〔T04 0551b21〕.
17. Parable 58—anchors 〔T04 0551c02〕〔T04 0551c13〕; the author’s explanation of the modes of discourse, with hypothetical question and answer 〔0551c03–c13〕: 「譬如人一切有皆死，此是決定答論門」—“for example, of people, all that exist will die—this is the mode of discourse of the definite answer”〔T04 0551c04〕; 「死者必有生是應分別答」—“That whoever dies is sure to be born again is something to be answered with a distinction”〔T04 0551c05〕; 「有問人為最勝不」—“Someone asks whether humans are the most excellent”〔T04 0551c07〕; 「若問世界及眾生有邊無邊、有終始無終始」—“if one is asked whether the world and beings are bounded or boundless, have a beginning and end or have no beginning and end”〔T04 0551c10〕; 「諸外道愚癡自以為智慧，破於四種論作一分別論」—“The followers of other paths, foolish yet thinking themselves wise, destroy these four kinds of discourse and make a single discourse of distinctions”〔T04 0551c11〕.
18. Parable 59—anchors 〔T04 0551c19〕〔T04 0551c27〕; the verse 〔0551c20–c27〕: 「不知死卒至，失此諸佛會」—“Not knowing that death suddenly arrives, they miss these assemblies of the buddhas”〔T04 0551c23〕; 「不得法珍寶」—“do not obtain the treasure of the Dharma”〔T04 0551c24〕.
19. Parable 60—anchors 〔T04 0552a09〕〔T04 0552a12〕; the verse 〔0552a09–a12〕: 「勤苦而求覓」—“they toil and labor in the search”〔T04 0552a11〕; 「徒勞無所得」—“laboring in vain, gaining nothing at all”〔T04 0552a12〕.
20. Parable 61—anchors 〔T04 0552a21〕〔T04 0552a25〕; 「亦不著斷亦不著常」—“neither attached to annihilation nor attached to permanence”〔T04 0552a22〕; 「欺誑世間作法形像」—“deceive the world, make a semblance of the Dharma”〔T04 0552a24〕.
21. Parable 62—anchors 〔T04 0552b04〕〔T04 0552b12〕; 「便謂過去未來現在唯是一識無有遷謝」—“and then think that past, future, and present are only one consciousness, without change or passing away”〔T04 0552b06〕; 「何有一識常恒不變」—“how could there be one consciousness, constant and unchanging?”〔T04 0552b09〕.
22. Parable 63—anchors 〔T04 0552b24〕〔T04 0552b29〕; 「便於五陰之中橫計於我」—“and then, within the five aggregates, they wrongly reckon a self”〔T04 0552b25〕; 「煩惱所逐不得自在」—“chased by the afflictions and not free”〔T04 0552b26〕.
23. Parable 64—anchors 〔T04 0552c09〕〔T04 0552c12〕; 「一一推析誰是我者」—“examining and analyzing them one by one, which is the self?”〔T04 0552c10〕.
24. Parable 65—anchors 〔T04 0553a22〕〔T04 0553b05〕; 「既斷煩惱又伏惡魔」—“Having cut off the afflictions and also subdued the evil Māra”〔T04 0553a29〕; 「不淨之施猶尚如此」—“if impure giving is still like this”〔T04 0553b03〕.

At the end of the parable passage of Parable 55, 「如此愚人世人所笑」—“A fool like this is laughed at by the people of the world”〔T04 0551a20〕 is a comment of the author, standing before the opening sentence of the application, 「愚人亦爾」—“Fools are so too”〔T04 0551a22〕; its position is recorded, and it is not moved into the application. In Parable 57, the application from 「凡物須時」—“All things must wait for their time”〔T04 0551b20〕 onward is the author’s admonition, following directly upon the fool’s answer.

V. Divergent Readings of the Commentators

There are no divergent readings of the ancient masters for this fascicle. This sūtra has no line-by-line ancient commentary, and there is nothing to set out in columns; the divergent readings of the three editions go into the ninth topic.

VI. Terms (first occurrences — glosses drawn only from the sūtra’s own words)

The terms found in this fascicle all follow the character forms of the base text (including transcriptions); where the sūtra itself explains a term, that explanation is quoted, and where it does not, ‘not explained in the sūtra’ is recorded. Terms already seen in Fascicle 1 and Fascicle 2 (such as followers of other paths · giving · good friend · the fruit of stream-entry · the three evil destinies · gain and offerings · austerities · liberation · the five desires · the five aggregates · ordinary person · hell · the five paths · piśāca · the view of self · fruition and retribution · impermanent · the Lesser Vehicle) are not listed again.

The terms of this fascicle are all Chinese; the transcribed ones (utpala · kṣatriya · Gandhāra · Mount Poluoxin · rākṣasa · stream-entry · Yama) are recorded in the character forms of the base text; the base text of this fascicle gives no Sanskrit forms, and none are supplied for it here.

VII. Similes and Rhetoric

The kinds of matter in the parables (persons · objects · actions):

Types of rhetoric:

• Rebuke by counter-question—Parable 45, 「財物既失用於門為」—“now that the goods are lost, what use is the door?”〔T04 0550a16〕; Parable 46, 「何有天下無東無時」—“how could there be, anywhere under heaven, no east and no time?”〔T04 0550b02〕; Parable 47, 「爾先不作，今作何益」—“You did not cry before; what good is crying now?”〔T04 0550b15〕; Parable 54, 「何以卒爾」—“why do you suddenly say this?”〔T04 0551a11〕; Parable 57, 「汝何以故蹋我脣口」—“Why did you trample on my lips?”〔T04 0551b17〕; Parable 62, 「汝今云何正食一雉望得愈病」—“How can you now eat just one pheasant and hope to cure your illness?”〔T04 0552b03〕; in the application of Parable 62, 「何有一識常恒不變」—“how could there be one consciousness, constant and unchanging?”〔T04 0552b09〕; in Parable 65, the old ministers’ 「如何卒爾寵遇過厚」—“how can you suddenly favor him so excessively?”〔T04 0553a09〕.
• The fool’s self-justification—Parable 44, 「我今飽足由此半餅」—“That I am now full is due to this half cake”〔T04 0549c28〕; Parable 45, 「大家先付門驢及索，自是以外非奴所知」—“What the master entrusted to me before was the door, the donkey, and the rope; beyond these, it is not for a servant to know”〔T04 0550a14〕; Parable 46, 「我實無村」—“We truly have no village”〔T04 0550a26〕; Parable 57, 「以是之故，唾欲出口舉脚先蹋，望得汝意」—“For this reason, when the spittle was about to leave your mouth, I raised my foot and trampled it first, hoping to win your favor”〔T04 0551b19〕; Parable 62, 「是故今者食一雉已盡更不敢食」—“so now that I have finished eating one pheasant, I dare not eat any more”〔T04 0552b01〕.
• Hyperbole—Parable 51, 「如是五人各打十下」—“In this way, each of the five men struck her ten strokes”〔T04 0550c21〕; Parable 65, 「五百群賊一時俱死」—“the five hundred thieves all died at once”〔T04 0552c25〕.
• Ending with knowledge at daybreak—「天明」—“daybreak” is found four times: Parable 63, 「乃至天明方知非鬼」—“until at daybreak they realized it was not a ghost”〔T04 0552b23〕, and in its application 「至天明者喻生死夜盡智慧明曉」—“Reaching daybreak stands for the long night of birth and death coming to an end and wisdom dawning bright”〔T04 0552b27〕; Parable 64, 「二人鬪諍遂至天明」—“The two men fought and quarrelled until daybreak”〔T04 0552c08〕; Parable 65, 「時樹上人至天明已」—“When daybreak came, the man in the tree”〔T04 0552c26〕. 「方知非鬼」—“realized it was not a ghost” is found twice: Parable 63 〔T04 0552b23〕 and Parable 64 〔T04 0552c09〕.
• Ending with the laughter of the crowd—Parable 49, 「為一切人之所嗤笑」—“are mocked by everyone”〔T04 0550c09〕; Parable 55, 「如此愚人世人所笑」—“A fool like this is laughed at by the people of the world”〔T04 0551a20〕; Parable 58, 「如是分物人所嗤笑」—“Dividing things like this is laughed at by people”〔T04 0551c02〕.
• Verses—there are two verses in this fascicle, both in applications: in Parable 59, eight lines after one sentence of prose in the application 〔0551c20–c27〕, the first seven lines each in two halves of five characters, the last line of five characters; in Parable 60, the whole application is a verse of four lines 〔0552a09–a12〕, the first three lines each in two halves of five characters, the last line of five characters.
• Matching the Dharma item by item through the parable—in the application of Parable 65, the character 「喻」—“stands for” is found nine times 〔0553a22–b01〕, matching nine matters of the parable one by one with the Dharma; the applications of Parable 42 and Parable 43 match the Dharma item by item with 「喻於」—“stands for.”

Sentence patterns from parable to application (our own count, over the applications of the twenty-four parables):

「亦復如是」—“so it is likewise” occurs sixteen times in the whole fascicle, in fifteen parables (42·43·44·45·46·47·48·49 (twice)·50·52·53·54·62·63·64); Parables 51·55·56·57·58·59·60·61·65 have none. Applications without a sentence of the kind 「亦復如是」—“so it is likewise,” 「亦爾」—“are so too,” or 「亦如是」—“are so too”: Parable 56 (opening with 「世俗凡夫若無物者」—“Worldly ordinary people, if they grasp at ‘nothing’”), Parable 57 (opening with 「凡物須時」—“All things must wait for their time”), Parable 58 (opening with 「如是分物人所嗤笑」—“Dividing things like this is laughed at by people”), Parable 61 (opening with 「以此義當知」—“From this teaching one should know”), and Parable 65 (matching item by item with 「喻」—“stands for”).

VIII. Citation and Carrying Forward

• Gathering by ancient commentaries—none of the parables of this fascicle is found gathered into a line-by-line commentary of the ancient masters.
• Anchors of the same words in another sūtra—already given in the third topic; here only the anchors are listed: 〔T02 0043a12〕〔T02 0056b15〕〔T02 0071c27〕〔T02 0003b10〕〔T02 0049a11〕〔T02 0033c26〕〔T02 0013a01〕〔T02 0010c23〕〔T02 0063c08〕〔T02 0011b07〕〔T02 0001a07〕〔T02 0063c16〕〔T02 0045b29〕〔T02 0050c21〕〔T02 0018c08〕〔T02 0035a10〕〔T02 0036a07〕〔T02 0066c20〕〔T02 0077c16〕〔T02 0002c03〕〔T02 0030c15〕〔T02 0003a11〕〔T02 0020c20〕〔T02 0048c02〕〔T02 0003a09〕〔T02 0067c17〕〔T02 0020c16〕〔T02 0014b23〕〔T02 0013b21〕〔T02 0009b15〕〔T02 0001b08〕〔T02 0002b16〕〔T02 0037b09〕〔T02 0315a04〕〔T02 0019a24〕〔T02 0013a20〕〔T02 0067c28〕〔T02 0089a01〕〔T02 0315a03〕〔T02 0006a03〕〔T02 0066c23〕〔T02 0056a13〕〔T02 0020a28〕〔T02 0062a03〕〔T02 0033c20〕〔T02 0012b14〕〔T02 0056c14〕〔T02 0045a20〕〔T02 0015c22〕〔T02 0018b21〕〔T02 0015a18〕〔T02 0064b11〕〔T02 0016a13〕〔T02 0006b27〕〔T02 0001a09〕〔T02 0007b25〕〔T02 0031c05〕〔T02 0071c23〕〔T02 0067a04〕〔T02 0313c23〕〔T02 0014b06〕〔T02 0033b11〕〔T02 0032a12〕〔T02 0012b03〕〔T02 0054c10〕〔T02 0016a22〕〔T02 0018c26〕〔T02 0043c24〕〔T02 0002c14〕〔T02 0058a28〕〔T02 0067a13〕〔T02 0016a07〕〔T02 0078b06〕〔T02 0063c22〕〔T02 0059a10〕〔T02 0068a29〕〔T02 0093b06〕.
• Shared sentence fragments—in this fascicle only shared words are recorded; Parable 61’s 「諸佛說法不著二邊」—“When the buddhas expound the Dharma, they are not attached to the two extremes”〔T04 0552a22〕 and 「如來離於二邊，說於中道」—“the Tathāgata, leaving the two extremes, expounds the middle way”〔T02 0067a04〕 share the one word 「二邊」—“the two extremes”; the sentences differ, and nothing further is said.
• Carrying forward within the fascicle—「地獄」—“hell” appears in Parable 46 〔T04 0550b05〕, in the 「獄卒」—“hell wardens” of Parable 47 〔T04 0550b18〕, in Parable 50 〔T04 0550c16〕, and in Parable 54 〔T04 0551a15〕; 「外道」—“followers of other paths” appears in Parable 58 〔T04 0551c03〕, Parable 61 〔T04 0552a23〕, Parable 62 〔T04 0552b04〕, and Parable 65 〔T04 0553a26〕; 「常見」—“the view of permanence” appears in Parable 61 as 「見斷見常」—“having seen annihilation and seen permanence”〔T04 0552a24〕, and in Parable 62 〔T04 0552b05〕〔T04 0552b08〕〔T04 0552b12〕; 「五陰」—“the five aggregates” appears in Parable 51 〔T04 0550c21〕 and Parable 63 〔T04 0552b25〕〔T04 0552b28〕, and the verse of Parable 60 has 「無我陰」—“the aggregates, which have no self”〔T04 0552a10〕; the wrong reckoning of a 「我」—“self” appears in Parable 60, 「橫生有我想」—“they wrongly give rise to the notion of a self”〔T04 0552a10〕, Parable 63, 「橫計於我」—“they wrongly reckon a self”〔T04 0552b26〕, and Parable 64, 「誰是我者」—“which is the self?”〔T04 0552c10〕; 「煩惱」—“afflictions” appears in Parable 51 〔T04 0550c22〕, Parable 62 〔T04 0552b07〕, Parable 63 〔T04 0552b24〕, and Parable 65 〔T04 0553a24〕; 「五欲」—“the five desires” appears in Parable 45 〔T04 0550a20〕 and Parable 65 〔T04 0553a24〕; 「善知識」—“good friend” appears in Parable 65 〔T04 0553a23〕〔T04 0553b03〕, and Parable 48 has 「惡知識」—“bad friends”〔T04 0550b27〕; 「諸佛」—“the buddhas” appears in Parable 44 〔T04 0550a06〕, Parable 55 〔T04 0551a22〕, the verse of Parable 59 〔T04 0551c21〕〔T04 0551c23〕, Parable 61 〔T04 0552a22〕, and Parable 62 as 「大智諸佛」—“the buddhas of great wisdom”〔T04 0552b08〕.
• Carrying forward across fascicles—Parable 55’s 「難行苦行」—“austerities hard to perform”〔T04 0551a23〕 is the same word as in Fascicle 2, Parable 24’s 「因難行苦行以為不樂」—“because they must perform austerities hard to perform, they think this is not joyful”〔T04 0546c16〕; Parable 49’s 「胡麻子」—“sesame seeds”〔T04 0550c05〕 is the same word as in Fascicle 2, Parable 24’s 「生食胡麻子以為不美」—“ate sesame seeds raw and found them not tasty”〔T04 0546c13〕; Parable 61’s 「作如似毘舍闍鬼」—“what you made looks just like a piśāca demon”〔T04 0552a21〕 is the same word as the title of Fascicle 2, Parable 41, 「（四一）毘舍闍鬼喻」—“(41) The Piśāca Demons”〔T04 0549a27〕; Parable 64’s 「如彼二人等無差別」—“altogether like those two men, with no difference”〔T04 0552c11〕 is worded close to Fascicle 2, Parable 38’s 「如彼飲水愚人等無有異」—“This is altogether like that fool who drank the water, with no difference”〔T04 0548c26〕, with the characters 「差別」—“difference” and 「有異」—“difference” not the same, recorded as they stand; Parable 63’s 「三塗」—“the three evil destinies”〔T04 0552b27〕 is the same word as in Fascicle 1, 「經歷三塗受苦長遠」—“passing through the three evil destinies, undergoing suffering long and far”〔T04 0545a21〕; Parable 65’s 「善知識」—“good friend”〔T04 0553a23〕 is the same word as in Fascicle 1, 「詣善知識而啟之言」—“went to a good friend and spoke to him, saying”〔T04 0545b03〕; Parable 65’s 「須陀洹」—“stream-entry”〔T04 0553a24〕 is the same word as in Fascicle 1, 「悟須陀洹果」—“awakened to the fruit of stream-entry”〔T04 0546b09〕; Parable 42’s 「漂浪五道」—“drift and wander in the five paths”〔T04 0549c16〕 and Fascicle 2, Parable 34’s 「修行正法度於五道」—“practicing the true Dharma, crossing beyond the five paths”〔T04 0548a27〕 share the same word 「五道」—“the five paths”.

IX. Placement Among the Recensions

The Taishō collation notes anchored in this fascicle come to seventy-four note numbers in all (【大】 = the original Taishō printing; 【宋】【元】【明】 = the three editions, the Song, Yuan, and Ming, abbreviated 【三】 in the Taishō notes; 【麗-CB】 = the Koryŏ edition as recorded by the current collated edition; 【卍正-CB】 = the Manji edition as recorded by the current collated edition; 【CB】 = the character adopted in the current transcription; ＊ = applies likewise at repeated occurrences of the same character; recorded together, without adjudication). How the notes are recorded: sixty-six in the mod form and sixty-six in the orig form (two ways of writing the same note number), eight in the add form (revision lines of the current collated edition, not original Taishō notes), none in cf1, none in cf2. In addition, seven variant readings recorded at repeated occurrences of the same character without note numbers are appended at the end of the table. Six note numbers have no corresponding variant reading of the collated editions: 〔0549018〕〔0549019〕〔0550012〕〔0550013〕〔0550018〕〔0553006〕, all of them notes on the division of fascicles, the numbering of the parables, or the recording of numbers (see the section on the notes on the division of fascicles and the numbering of the parables below). In the table below, the ‘variant reading’ column follows the mod form of the Taishō notes word for word (the eight add entries follow their own form), with an English gloss after each.

Variant readings of the collated editions at repeated occurrences of the same character (without note numbers; base-text character → character of the three editions):

Of the seven entries above, entry 75 follows from the ＊ of the note 〔0549022〕, 「如【大】＊」—“‘like’ in the Taishō, ＊”; entry 76 from the ＊ of the note 〔0550001〕, 「犛【大】＊」—“‘yak’ in the Taishō, ＊”; entry 77 from the ＊ of the note 〔0550017〕, 「兒【大】＊」—“‘lad’ in the Taishō, ＊”; entry 78 from the ＊ of the note 〔0552004〕, 「太【大】＊」—“‘too’ in the Taishō, ＊”; entries 79–81, the three entries of ‘lad’ → ‘man’ 〔T04 0552b13〕〔T04 0552b14〕〔T04 0552b16〕, are marked in the collation as following the ＊ of the note 〔0550017〕, 「兒【大】＊」—“‘lad’ in the Taishō, ＊” (the other note in this fascicle that marks 「兒」—“lad” with ＊, 〔0549017〕, is not involved). The revision line of the current collated edition in entry 61 is anchored at 「伎兒之中」—“Among the players”〔T04 0552b17〕, at its 「兒」—“lad”, where the original Taishō printing has 「人」—“man”; it is recorded together with entries 79–81, where the three editions have 「人」—“man,” without adjudication.

Notes on the division of fascicles and the numbering of the parables (recorded together, without adjudication):

• The division of fascicles—the Taishō note 〔0549019〕 is anchored in the parable passage of Parable 42 (0549c08): 「弟子【大】，子弟【宋】【元】【明】，【宋】【元】【明】不分卷」—“Taishō ‘disciples’; Song, Yuan, Ming ‘juniors’; Song, Yuan, Ming do not divide the fascicles.” The Taishō note 〔0550012〕 is anchored at the end of Parable 50 (0550c16): 「卷上終【宋】【元】【明】」—“Song, Yuan, Ming: the end of the upper fascicle”; the Taishō note 〔0550013〕 is anchored at the title of Parable 51 (0550c17): 「卷下首【宋】【元】【明】」—“Song, Yuan, Ming: the head of the lower fascicle”; that is, in the Song, Yuan, and Ming editions the upper fascicle ends with Parable 50 and the lower fascicle begins with Parable 51. The Taishō note 〔0553006〕 is anchored at the closing title of this fascicle (0553b06): 「百喻…譯【大】，〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】，【宋】【元】【明】不分卷，目錄在三本下卷首」—“Taishō has the text from ‘Hundred Parables’ to ‘…translated’; Song, Yuan, Ming lack it; Song, Yuan, Ming do not divide the fascicles; the table of contents stands at the head of the lower fascicle in the three editions.” What the Taishō note 〔0549012〕 on the closing title of Fascicle 2 records, 「目錄中估客駝死喻已下九頂上卷初，五人買婢共使作喻已下十五頂在下卷初」—“in the table of contents, the nine titles from the Parable of the Merchant Whose Camel Died onward stand at the top of the beginning of the upper fascicle, and the fifteen titles from the Parable of the Five Men Who Bought a Slave Girl to Share Her Work onward stand at the top of the beginning of the lower fascicle”: the nine titles are Parables 42–50 of this fascicle, and the fifteen titles are Parables 51–65 of this fascicle (see the ninth topic of Fascicle 2). The base text still divides the sūtra into four fascicles.
• The numbering in the table of contents—the Taishō note 〔0549018〕 is anchored at the title of the first parable (0549c05): 「估客駝死喻乃至醫治脊僂喻等喻下有四十二乃至五十記數下准之【元】【明】」—“Yuan, Ming: below each ‘parable,’ from the Parable of the Merchant Whose Camel Died to the Parable of Treating a Hunched Back, the numbers forty-two up to fifty are recorded; the same applies below”; the Taishō note 〔0550018〕 is anchored at the title of Parable 52 (0550c24): 「喻下有二三等記數【元】【明】＊」—“Yuan, Ming: below ‘parable’ there are numbers such as two and three; likewise at repeated occurrences.”
• The title of Parable 47—see the first topic: the Taishō note 〔0550004〕, 「人【大】，人能【明】」—“‘man’ in the Taishō; ‘man could’ in the Ming edition,” is anchored at the title at the head of the parable (0550b07); in the table of contents the base text has 「貧人能作鴛鴦鳴喻」—“the parable of the poor man who could cry like a mandarin duck”〔T04 0549b24〕.
• The title of Parable 61—the Taishō note 〔0552003〕, 「因【大】，〔－〕【明】」—“‘cause’ in the Taishō; the Ming edition lacks it,” is anchored at the title at the head of the parable (0552a13); for the 「因」—“cause” in the table of contents, the Taishō note 〔0549016〕 records that the three editions lack it (0549c02).

Character forms: the character 「㲲」—“cotton cloth” (U+3CB2, in the CJK Extension A block, not a PUA-created character) is found six times in this fascicle, all in Parable 42 〔0549c07–c12〕, and is recorded as in the base text. There are no PUA-created characters in this fascicle. For the differences of character form between the current transcription and the original Taishō printing, see the eight revision lines of the current collated edition (two forms each of “piece,” “fine food,” “players,” “cross,” “compete,” “jump,” and “all at once,” and the record at 0552a24 of a superfluous 「是」—“this” in the original Taishō printing). The difference between the 「着」—“put on” of the table of contents and the 「著」—“put on” of the title at the head of Parable 63 is recorded as it stands. There are no interlinear notes in this fascicle.

X. Correspondence of Parable and Application

All twenty-four parables have an application; parables without an application: none. Applications without a sentence of the kind 「亦復如是」—“so it is likewise,” 「亦爾」—“are so too,” or 「亦如是」—“are so too”: five, Parables 56·57·58·61·65. The application of Parable 57 has no sentence of correspondence. Applications containing verse: two, Parable 59 (one sentence of prose + a verse of eight lines) and Parable 60 (wholly a verse of four lines). Applications that are the author’s explanation of the modes of discourse: one, Parable 58.