The Lotus Sūtra 4.12

4.12

爾時五百阿羅漢於佛前得受記已，歡喜踊躍，即從座起，到於佛前，頭面禮足，悔過自責：「世尊！我等常作是念，自謂已得究竟滅度，今乃知之，如無智者。所以者何？我等應得如來智慧，而便自以小智為足。

Thereupon the five hundred arhats, having obtained their predictions

from the Buddha, were joyful and ecstatic. They rose from their seats,

approached the Buddha, bowed until their foreheads touched his feet, repented

of their faults, and reproached themselves, saying: “O Bhagavat! We have

always thought we had attained complete nirvana. We now realize that we

were ignorant. Why is this? We should have attained the wisdom of the

Tathāgatas. Yet we were satisfied with little wisdom!

“O Bhagavat! Suppose there were a man who came to the house of a

close friend and went to sleep after becoming intoxicated with wine. The

intimate friend, having to go out on official business, sews a priceless jewel

into the inside of his friend’s garment and, giving it to him, leaves. But the

man who was drunk and asleep is totally unaware of this. After getting up

he leaves and roams around until he arrives in another country. Although he

diligently seeks for food and clothing they are very difficult to obtain. He is

satisfied if he just obtains a very meager amount. Later on the intimate friend

happens to meet this man. Seeing him, he says:

O poor fellow! How have you come to this state through lack of food

and clothing? Once, on such-and-such a day in such-and-such a month

and year, I sewed a priceless jewel into the inside of your garment,

wanting to make things easier for you and to let you enjoy the desires

of the five senses as much as you wished.

It is still there, although you aren’t aware of it, and you seek your

livelihood with great effort and hardship! You have been very foolish.

Sell this jewel and use it to buy what you need. From now on you will

know neither poverty nor want and can live as you wish.

“The Buddha is exactly like this. When he was a bodhisattva he aroused in us the aspiration for omniscience. Nevertheless we forgot, we did not know or understand. We attained the path of the arhats and considered that we had attained nirvana. It was very hard for us to support ourselves and we were satisfied with little. But we never fully lost our wish for all-knowledge. Now the Bhagavat, perceiving our minds, has said this:

O monks! What you have attained is not the complete nirvana. For a

long time I have made you plant the various roots of good merit of a

buddha and shown you the marks of nirvana through skillful means.

That is why you consider yourselves to have actually attained nirvana!

“O Bhagavat! We now know that we are actually bodhisattvas and will obtain a prediction of highest, complete enlightenment. For this reason we are extremely happy at having obtained such an unprecedented experience.”

At that time Ājñātakauṇḍinya and the others, wanting to elaborate on the meaning of this further, spoke these verses:

We have heard his voice

Giving the prediction of utmost ease.

Rejoicing in this unprecedented experience,

We bow to the Buddha whose wisdom is immeasurable.

We now repent of our faults

In the presence of the Bhagavat.

Although we had attained

Only a small measure of nirvana,

Out of the immeasurable treasures of the Buddha,