The Parable of the Gem in the Robe
The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wondrous Dharma,
Chapter 8: The Assurance of Buddhahood Given to the Five Hundred Disciples
There was a man who lived in poverty. One day he visited the house of his close friend. The friend was very rich and treated him to dinner. The man ate his fill, then got drunk and fell asleep in his wealthy friend’s house.
Meanwhile, his friend had to leave on official business. The friend decided to sew a priceless gem in the lining of the man’s robe as a gift, because he knew that the man had sunk into poverty. Since the man was fast asleep, he didn’t notice what was happening.
After waking up, the poor man left his friend’s house and wandered until he reached another country, where he worked hard to earn his food and clothing. He was satisfied with what little income he brought in. One day, the man happened to run into his wealthy friend on the road. Surprised to see the poor man’s shabby appearance, the friend told him about the gem in the robe, and showed it to him. The man was delighted, and thanks to the gem, he was able to live a life free from poverty and want.
Commentary
The man who lived in poverty indicates us as ordinary human beings, and his close friend expresses the Buddha. The priceless gem symbolizes the teaching of the One Vehicle. The Buddha gave various teachings to people who were suffering in their lives, in order to liberate them. All the teachings of the Buddha are for the purpose of leading all human beings to buddhahood. Each one of us is different from one another, and while it may appear that we all walk different paths, in fact we possess the life of the Buddha equally and we all are sustained by one immense Life—our lives are manifestations of its working. It is called the One Vehicle.
To possess the gem unknowingly is to walk the path to become a buddha, even though we are unaware of doing so.
We are not an existence that has an unchanging or everlasting nature; instead, we are a phenomenon that arises through interdependent origination. However, we believe that our visible appearances are our true selves, and so we continue to suffer, swayed by earthly desires. Just like the poor man in this story, even if we are satisfied with delicious food and drink for a moment, we may return to poverty as soon as conditions change, and so we will never achieve a fulfilled life.
Hence the Buddha explained to us the law of interdependent origination and guided us to the way to find inner peace by releasing our mind from selfish desires. Such a state (nirvana of the two vehicles) is the same as that of the poor man in the story, who is satisfied with the meager income from his menial work.
When the poor man ran into his friend, his friend let him know about the presence of the gem in the robe. This symbolizes how the Buddha gave us the prediction that we too can become buddhas.
The gem in the robe does not signify spiritual peace only for oneself. It is a priceless gem, which indicates the teaching of the One Vehicle. Through knowing the teaching, we realize that the path which we have walked is connected to the path to become buddhas. The path to become a buddha is a way of living in which we always wish to make those around us happy and make our best effort to achieve this goal (this is the bodhisattva path). Such a way of living demonstrates what we should be, as beings who inherently possess the Buddha’s life. If you only realize the presence of the gem, you can surely be a warm light that will illuminate others and the community wherever you are―because you already have the brilliant gem in your heart.
Editorial supervision by the Chuo Academic
Research Institute
*Commentary is based on Buddhism for Today and The Threefold Lotus Sutra: A Modern Commentary, both by Nikkyo Niwano.