Selected Discourses from The Sutra of the Father and Son Compendium

Your Majesty, you should think thus: How can I become the eyes for humans and devas? How can I become the lamp in the long night? How can I become the raft in the river of desire? How can I become the guide in perilous places? How can I become the master for those without refuge? Having emancipated myself, I can then rescue others. Having liberated myself, I can liberate others. Having attained peace myself, I can bring peace to others. Having realized nirvana myself, I can help others realize it. Your Majesty, you should not observe the present worldly wealth, pleasures, and freedom in the five desires. The sense faculties are like illusions, and the realms are like dreams. Do not give rise to greedy attachment to form, sound, scent, taste, and touch, for such cravings are never satisfied.

The nirvana realized by arhats is the state after the extinction of the five aggregates of the physical body, where the physical form no longer arises—ashes to the body, extinction to consciousness. They neither continue to study the Dharma nor bring benefit and joy to sentient beings. Their compassion is shallow; they have no aspiration to become buddhas themselves, nor can they lead sentient beings to buddhahood together. Therefore, the nirvana without residue attained by arhats is not ultimate. The most ultimate nirvana is the non-abiding nirvana realized by buddhas, who never abandon any sentient being. The conduct and minds of bodhisattvas differ from those of arhats. Though capable of entering nirvana without residue, they choose not to enter it. Life after life, they cultivate and realize the Dharma within the three realms, continuously benefiting themselves while also guiding sentient beings. Thus, bodhisattvas are greater than arhats, more compassionate than arhats, possess greater wisdom than arhats, and have more vast spiritual powers than arhats.

The Buddha earnestly advised His father not to observe the present worldly wealth, pleasures, and freedom in the five desires, nor to give rise to greedy attachment to form, sound, scent, taste, and touch without ever feeling satisfied. He urged him not to cling to the realms of form, sound, scent, taste, touch, and dharmas. When the mind is attached to the five desires and six dusts, it is difficult to attain satisfaction. The World-Honored One’s father had been king for decades, indulging in worldly pleasures of the five desires, yet he remained unaware of their suffering and did not seek liberation. The Buddha thus exhorted him, saying that he should no longer cling to the wealth and pleasures of this world, for the sense faculties are like illusions and the realms are like dreams. The six sense faculties are all illusory: the eye faculty should not cling to form, the ear faculty should not cling to sound. Do not become lost in the pleasures of the five desires, living a life of drunken revelry. All these are illusory; the realms of the six dusts are like dreams, unreal and destined to vanish at any moment.

Why did the Buddha repeatedly advise His father? Because it is difficult to liberate the wealthy and powerful who are deeply entrenched in authority. They have long been intoxicated by the pleasures of the five desires and find it hard to extricate themselves. In contrast, the poor endure lives of hardship, deeply feeling the suffering of the world. When they encounter the Buddha Dharma, they spontaneously cultivate with vigorous diligence—except for those with insufficient merits, who, burdened by the demands of survival, are caught up in worldly affairs and unable to study and practice the Dharma.