Day 8 concludes Chapter 4, Understanding by Faith, and closes the second volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

For the past couple of months – here and here, for example – I’ve been fixated on the fact the “faith” is not present in the chapter Understanding by Faith. But there are other points here.

I can relate to old guys thinking that what they’ve been doing is fine. – “A day’s pay” – but even more I relate to the concept of a son who does not know he has a father, let alone the treasure that is his inheritance, and the compassion that a father would have for a lost son.

The poor son, having wandered from town to town, from country to country, from village to village, came to the city where his father was living. The father had been thinking of him for more than fifty years since he had lost him, but never told others [that he had a missing son]. He was alone, pining for his son.

And…

The rich man gave him a name and called him son. The poor son was glad to be treated kindly, but still thought that he was a humble employee. Therefore, the rich man had him clear dirt for twenty years. After that the father and son trusted each other. Now the son felt no hesitation in entering the house of his father, but still lodged in his old place.

Yes, Understanding by Faith, is the answer.