In this house lived children of the rich man, numbering ten or twenty or thirty.

Those who have already been converted are “sons.” There is the differentiation of the three vehicles: it is “three” [of thirty or three tens]. There are so many [of those who have been transformed]: thus “ten” [of three tens].

“All of a sudden fires broke out at the same time from all sides of the house, and it began to burn.”

Various sufferings are compared to burning. There is no place where there is no suffering: it is “throughout the house.” It has come of [the path of] aberration; thus “quite suddenly.” The thing proper (or cause, shih) has arrived: it “breaks out.” It burns “the apartments” of the five aggregates (skandhas), [the constituents of ‘self’]

The buildings [halls] were in decay, the fences and walls corrupt, the bases of the pillars rotten, and the beams and ridgepoles tilting and slanted.

The realm of sensuous desire (kāmadhātu) is the “hall.” The two upper realms are “chambers.” Gradual decay is “rotting.”

Various delusions are prevalent in the four directions: they are referred to as walls. To do what is not good and what must be overcome is referred to as crumbling.

False views dwell in it: they are “pillars.” Going astray from li, one is not stable: one has “decayed.”

[The beings] are brought to realize that they are in a state of ignorance and [self-]love; they [ignorance and self-love] are “beams and ridgepoles.” li can easily take them off: they are “precariously tipped.”

His manor house was large [broad and great], but had only one gate. In that house lived many people, numbering a hundred or two hundred or five hundred.

They take delusions as their original source and are settled in them: this is what house represents. Delusions are everywhere: they are “broad and great.”

The Buddha teaches the passage to enlightenment: he is the “doorway.” Only these people have passed through it, they are “one hundred or two hundred”: gods (devas) account for “one hundred”; men, “two hundred”. The three evil paths (gati) of transmigration account for “five hundred.” They rely on the [three] realms: they are “dwelling in it.”

“Śāriputra! Suppose there lived a very rich man [great elder] in a certain country, in a certain village, in a certain town. He was old [advanced in years]. His wealth was immeasurable. He had many paddy fields, houses, and servants.”

The Buddha is certainly in charge of them, and rules over them, being the one whom they pay respect to: he is “the elder”

[The Buddha] reincarnated himself and advanced to the later stage of his life in order to set forth the doctrine of the three vehicles.

In preaching the Dharma, [the Buddha] uses wisdom-life as its source: it is “wealth.” li is inexhaustible and limitless: it is “incalculable.”

Transformative teaching removes their defilements and produces shoots of the Tao in them; it is “fields.” They come to reside in it [Tao]: it is “house.” They comply with the teaching in their conduct: they are “servants.” There is no place where it does not exist: it is “many.”

“Śāriputra! Suppose there lived a very rich man in a certain country, in a certain village, in a certain town.

From this phrase on [the Buddha’s] doctrine is explained analogically. There are seven segments, in total, illustrating li. The first segment relates the frequent occurrence of calamities and various misfortunes in the house. In the second is shown that only those who are awakened to these calamities and misfortunes are Buddhas. The third tells that the Buddha, having been awakened himself, has great compassion (Mahākaruṇā) arising in him, [and that he means] to rescue all children. In the fourth, as he will later offer the happiness of the three vehicles, he first talks about the dreadful happening in the house. Fifth, [the Buddha] offers them the happiness of the three vehicles. Sixth, [the Buddha] provides them with the utmost happiness of the One Vehicle, which is true and real. Seventh, it turns out that the three carts [the Buddha] promised earlier are not to be given at the end, [the promise] being empty and false.

A country refers to a place where cities are located. The multitudinous beings are situated in the cities of the three realms (triloka); we call them the country. The first segment [begins here]. A city-state refers to the supreme ultimate. The ultimate is analogized as the city-state. [The Buddha’s] limited approach to men is compared to “a municipality,” which is synonymous with a city. The Buddha in accordance with doctrine follows [varying] existential situations (shih); thus all kinds of names have been created.

All these teachings of the Buddhas are for the purpose of teaching Bodhisattvas. Śāriputra! Now I will explain this with a parable.

What the Buddha has said up to now is aimed at cutting off the doubts they harbor. Now he mentions those who have intelligence in order to get them to the [main] idea. Intelligence counters stupidity. It was said earlier that men of intelligence, when hearing parables, can have their minds awakened. By this statement, what was said before is further extended to encourage them to move toward a speedy enlightenment.

But [both the twelve hundred people and the two thousand people] are now quite perplexed because they have heard from you [the Dharma] which they had never heard before.

Formerly they lived on “three,” now they have to take “One.” Both are what the Sage has said, and so are contradictory to each other, Consequently they come to cast doubts on what they heard.

Thereupon Śāriputra said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! Now my doubts are gone.

Insofar as one’s virtue is great, one’s concern [for others] is deep; when the Tao [one has achieved] is great, it extends to kingliness as well. Body-son, having already been inducted into the path of enlightenment, wants others with the same intention [to receive a prophecy] to share his profound understanding. Therefore. on behalf of twelve thousand people, he raises the question and addresses the Buddha. These voice hearers had no doubts before, but they harbor some now. They should be opened up and put forward first, and then explanations [responding to their doubts] can follow.

At that time the great multitude included bhikṣus, bhikṣunīs, upāsakās and upāsikās, that is, the four kinds of devotees; and gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras and mahoragas. When they saw that Śāriputra was assured of his future attainment of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi by the Buddha, they danced with great joy.

This is the third segment. [Here, the Buddha] led those with [excessive] self-esteem to realize that they were [in fact] all endowed with [the capacity for enlightenment]; hence, joy of heart.