法苑珠林 31.8

31.8

Also, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra states: Because a bodhisattva contemplates and observes the marks of emptiness and impermanence, even though there are fine and wonderful five desires, defilements do not arise. For example, a king had a minister who concealed a fault of his own that people did not know. The king said: 'Bring me a fat sheep without tallow. If you cannot obtain one, I shall punish you for your crime.' The minister was wise: he tied up a large sheep, fed it well with grass and grain, and three times a day terrified it with a wolf. Although the sheep was well-fed, it became fat without tallow. He led the sheep and presented it to the king. The king sent someone to slaughter it, and it was indeed fat without tallow. The king asked: 'How could this be?' The minister answered with the above matter. A bodhisattva is also like this: seeing the wolf of impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, he causes the tallow of defilements to melt away and the flesh of all meritorious virtues to grow fat.