Buddhism In Indtq

87

each individual to the light according to the circumstances in which

he is placed.
Gradually the son grows more and more familiar with the father,
and loses his former fear of him, but still he does not know that he
is his fathers child. So men, even though pious and virtuous, and
earnestly carrying out the Buddha's will, do not know that they arc
already in Heaven; their lives are still to some extent earthlwund,
and though the Buddha offers them all his wealth of bliss long habit
keeps them from en/oying it.
Only when the father is near death does he reveal himself to his
son. This seems at first to weaken the analogy, for heavenly Bud
dhas do not die. But in fact the conclusion of the parable is quite
appropriate, for when man has fulfilled his tasks and carried out his
stewardship, that is to say when he has reached the highest stage of
self-development, he finds that the heavenly Buddha has ceased to
exist for him, that nothing is truly teal but the great Emptiness
which is peace and NirvSna.

A man parted from his father and went to another city; and
he dwelt there many years. . . . The father grew rich and
the son poor. W hile the son wandered in all directions
[begging] in order to get food and clothes, the father moved
to another land, where he lived in great luxury . . . wealthy
from business, money-lending, and trade. In course of time
the son, wandering in search of his living through town and
country, came to the city in which his father dwelled. Now
the poor mans father . . . forever thought of the son whom
he had lost . . . years ago, but he told no one of this,
though he grieved inwardly, and thought: I am old, and
well advanced in years, and though I have great possessions
I have no son. Alas that time should do its work upon me,
and that all this wealth should perish unused! . . . It would
be bliss indeed if my son might enjoy all my wealth!
Tlien the poor man, in search of food and clothing, came
to the rich mans home. And the rich man was sitting in
great pomp at the gate of his house, surrounded by a large
throng of attendants . . . on a splendid throne, with a
footstool inlaid with gold and silver, under a wide awning
decked with pearls and flowers and adorned with hanging
garlands of jewels; and he transacted business to the value of
millions of gold pieces, all the while fanned by a fly-whisk.