Which is then explained thus:
The Buddha told Shariputra, "Good indeed, good indeed! It is just as you say.
"Shariputra, the Thus Come One is also like this in that he is a father to all in the world. He has forever ended all fear, weakness, worry, ignorance and obscurity. He has completely realized the limitless knowledge and vision, powers, and fearlessnesses. He has great spiritual might and the power of wisdom. He has perfected the Paramitas of Expedients and wisdom. He is greatly kind and compassionate. Never tiring, he ever seeks the good, benefitting all. And thus he is born in the Three Realms which are like a burning house. In order to save living beings from the fires of birth, old age, sickness, death, grief, misery, stupidity, dullness, and the Three Poisons. He teaches and transforms them, leading them to the attainment of
Anuttarasamyaksambodhi.
"He sees all living beings are scorched by birth, old age, sickness, death, grief, and misery. They undergo various sufferings because of the Five Desires, wealth and profit. Further, because of their clinging and grasping, they presently undergo a mass of suffering and in the future will undergo suffering in the hells, among the animals, or hungry ghosts. If born in the heavens or among human beings, they will suffer poverty and distress, the suffering of being separated from what one loves, the suffering of being joined together with what one hates, and all the various sufferings such as these. However, living beings sunk in this morass, joyfully sport, unaware, unknowing, unalarmed and unafraid. They do not grow satiated nor do they seek liberation. In the burning house of the Three Realms they run about from east to west. Although they encounter tremendous suffering, they are not concerned.
"Shariuputra, having seen this, the Buddha further thinks, ‘I am the father of living beings. I should rescue them from this suffering and difficulty, and give them the limitless, boundless joy of the Buddha-wisdom to play with.’
"Shariputra, the Thus Come One further thinks, ‘If I merely use spiritual power and the power of wisdom, and cast aside expedients, praising for all living beings the power of the Thus Come One’s knowledge and vision, powers, and fearlessnesses, living beings will not be able to be saved in this way. Why is this? All of these living beings have not yet escaped birth, old age, sickness, death, grief and misery. They are being scorched in the burning house of the Three Realms. How could they understand the wisdom of the Buddha?’
"Shariputra, just as that elder, although he had a powerful body and arms, did not use them, but merely applied expedients with diligence to save all the children from disaster in the burning house, and afterwards gave to each of them a great cart adorned with precious jewels. In the same way, the Thus Come One, although he has powers and fearlessnesses, doe not use them. He merely uses wisdom and expedients to rescue living beings from the burning house of the Three Realms, speaking to them of Three Vehicles; that of
Sound Hearer (声聞,
Śrāvaka),
Pratyeka Buddha (辟支佛), and Buddha Vehicle (佛乘,
Buddhayāna).
"And he says to them, ‘All of you should take no pleasure in dwelling in the burning house of the Three Realms. Do not lust after vulgar and evil forms, sounds, smells, tastes and tangible objects. If you attach to them greedily and give rise to love for them you will be burnt. You should quickly escape the Three Realms and obtain the Three Vehicles; the Sound Hearer, Pratyeka Buddha, and Buddha Vehicles. I now give my pledge for this and it shall never be proved false. You need only diligently and vigorously cultivate.’ The Thus Come One using these expedient means leads all creatures.
"He further says, ‘You should all know that the Dharmas of the Three Vehicles have been praised by the sages. They will make you free, unbound, and self-reliant. Riding on these Three Vehicles, by means of non-outflow roots, powers, enlightenments, ways, Dhyanas, concentrations, liberations, Samadhis, and so on, you shall amuse yourselves and attain limitless peace and joy.’
"Shariputra, if there are living beings who inwardly possess the wisdom-nature, and hearing the Dharma from the Buddha, the World Honored One, believed and accepted it, diligently making progress, wishing quickly to escape the Three Realms and seeking Nirvana for themselves. They are called those of the Sound Hearer Vehicle. They are like the children who sought the sheep cart and thereby escaped from the burning house.
"If there are living beings who hearing the Dharma from the Buddha, the World Honored One, believed and accepted it, diligently making progress, and who seek for themselves spontaneous wisdom, delighting in solitude and fond of stillness, deeply understanding the causal conditions of all Dharmas, they are called those of the Pratyeka Buddha Vehicle. They are like the children who sought the deer cart and so escaped the burning house.
"If there are living beings who hearing the Dharma from the Buddha, the World Honored One, believed and accepted it, earnestly cultivating with vigor, seeking all-wisdom, untutored wisdom, the knowledge and vision fo the Thus Come One, his powers and fearlessnesses, pitying and comforting limitless living beings, benefitting gods and humans, saving all, they are called those of the Great Vehicle. Because the Bodhisattvas seek this vehicle, they are called Mahasattvas. They are like the children who sought the ox cart and so escaped the burning house.
"Shariputra, just as that elder, seeing all his children safely escape the burning house to a place of fearlessness, and considering his own unlimited wealth, gives to all of his children a great cart. Just so the Thus Come One, in the same way is the father of all living beings. When he sees limitless millions of living beings using the gateway of the Buddha’s teaching to get off the fearsome and dangerous path of the suffering of the Three Realms and attain the bliss of Nirvana, he has this thought, ‘I have limitless, boundless wisdom, powers, fearlessnesses and so on – the complete storehouse of the Buddhadharmas. All of these living beings are my children. I should give to all of them a great cart, not allowing them to gain individual extinction, but crossing them over to extinction by means of the Thus Come One’s extinction. Having escaped the Three Realms, all these living beings are given as playthings the Buddha’s Dhyana concentrations, liberations, and so forth, all of one mark and one kind, praised by the sages and productive of pure, wondrous, and foremost bliss.’
“Shariputra, just as that elder first having used the three carts to entice his children and then later having giventhem a great cart adorned with jewels and supremely comfortable, is not guilty of falsehood. Just so is the Thus Come One likewise not guilty of falsehoold in first speaking of the Three Vehicles to entice living beings and then afterwards delivering them only by means of Great Vehicle. What is the reason? The Thus Come One has limitless wisdom, powers and fearlessnesses, a storehouse of Dharmas, and is able to give to all living beings the Great Vehicle Dharma. Not all living beings, however, are able to accept it. Shariputra, because of these causes and conditions you should know that the Buddhas, using the power of expedient devices, in the One Buddha Vehicle, discriminate and speak of three.”
Now remember you asked me MY thoughts now.
) but you walked away from Jesus and the truth was revealed to you, Yes that bothered me.
) and truly see what you threw away.