Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-29
Buddhist Parable of the PrOdigal Son


\ certain man had a son, who went
away into a far country. There he be-
came miserably poor. The father, how
ever, grew rich and accumulated much
gold and treasure. and many stOrehOuses
and elephants. But he tenderly loved his
lost son and secretly lamented that he
had no one to whom to leaYe his palaces
and suYernas at his death. After many
wears the poor man, in search of food and
clothing, happened to come to the country
where his father had great possessions.
And when he was afar OFF his father saw
him and reflected thus in bis mind; 'EIf
at once acknowledge my son, and give
him my gold and treasures, l snail do him
a great injury. He is ignorant and I'M
disciplined, he is poor and brutaliZed.
With one of such miserable inelinatiOns,
'twere better to educate the mind little
by little. viii make him one of my hired
servants" Then the son, famished and
in rags, arrived at the door of his fathers
house, and, seeing great throne appraised
and many followers doing homage to him
who sat upon it. was awed by the pomp
and the wealth around. Instantly he fed
once more to the highway. ''This," he
Thought, sis the house of the poor man.
Ii | stay at the palace of the King per-
haps | shall be thrown into prison." Then
the father sent messengers after the son,
who was caught and brought back, in
spite Of his cries and lamentations. When
he reached his fathers house he fell down
famting with fear, not recognizing his
father, and believing he was about to suf-
fer some cruel punishment. The father
ordered his servants to deal tenderly with
the poor man, and sent two labOrers of his
own rank of life to engage him as a SER
want on the estate. They gave him a
broom and a basket, and engaged him to
clean up the duDg-heap at double wage.
From the window of his palace the rich
man watched his son at his work; and,
Disgusting himself as poor man and coy-
ering his limbs with dust and dirt, he ap-
preached his son and said: "Stay here,
good man, and l Will provide you with
food and clothing. You are hOnest-yOu
are industrious. Look upon me as your
father" After many years the father felt
his end approaching, and he summoned
his son and the officers of the King and
announced to them the secret that he had
so long kept. The poor man was really
his son who had wandered away from
him. and now that he was conscious OF
his former debased condition and was
able to appreciate and retain vast wealth,
he was determined to hand over TO him
his entire treasure. The poor man was
astOnished at this sudden change of for
tune, but oveTjOYed at meeting his father
Once more. The parallels of Buddha are
reported in the Lotus of the perfect law
to be yelled from the ignorant by means
of an enigmatic form of language. The
rich man of this parable, with his throne
adorned by flowers and garlands of jewels,
is announced to be Tirthagata, who dearly
loves all his children and has prepared for
them vast spiritual treasures. But each
son Of Tirthagata has miserable inclina-
tions. He prefers the dung-heap to the
pearl Mani. To teach such man Tirtha-
gaia is obliged to employ inferior agents,
the monk and the ascetic, and to wean
him BY degrees from the lower objects OF
desire. When ne speaks himself he Is
forced to veil much OF his thought, as 1t
would not be understood. His sons feel
no iov on learning spiritual things. Little
bv little must their minds be trained and
disciplined for higher truths.
BEARS are said to be killing large number.