Three Conditions for Being a True Buddha's Son

World Honored One! The wealthy elder is the Tathagata; we all resemble the Buddha's sons. The Tathagata often says, "You are all my sons."

"The wealthy elder is the Tathagata." Who is the elder mentioned earlier? It is the World Honored One Tathagata. The phrase "we all resemble the Buddha's sons" is spoken after the parable of the father and sons losing contact: the sons have let the seeds of their Mahayana good roots lapse, so at first, the Buddha could only say, "You are no longer the Tathagata's true sons; you only resemble the Tathagata's sons on the surface." This "resemblance" exists because the sons' Mahayana good roots have lapsed in their hearts, so they have not yet met the qualifications to be his true sons. It is only after the later parable of the father and sons reuniting that the Tathagata formally declares, "You are all my sons."

From the perspective of Mahayana Buddhism, being called a "Buddha's son" carries definite prerequisites. Who can be called the Buddha's son? The Lotus Sutra states that there are three conditions for being a "true Buddha's son":

First, you must be born from the Buddha's mouth. All of your Buddhist practice must be guided by the Buddha's teachings; you cannot devise your own practice methods of your own making. For example, the Buddha never instructed us to stay up all night or abstain from regular meals. If your practice method is something you created yourself, it has no basis in the sutras. The Buddha taught us to regulate our diet and sleep as part of our practice, and never asked us to forgo sleep or food entirely. Therefore, as a "Buddha's son," your practice method must be "born from the Buddha's mouth."

Second, you must be born from transformation through the Dharma. In your Buddhist practice, your mind must give rise to the path and Dharma that accord with the Buddha's teachings, be it the realization of emptiness or tathata (true nature).

Third, and even more demanding, you must attain a share of the Buddha's Dharma. Your body, speech, and mind must bring forth the virtuous qualities and merits that correspond to the Buddha's teachings.

Measured against these three standards—being born from the Buddha's mouth, born from transformation through the Dharma, and attaining a share of the Buddha's Dharma—only Mahayana bodhisattvas are qualified to be called the Buddha's "true sons." Strictly speaking, only those who have reached the stage of seeing the path in Mahayana Buddhism, specifically the first abode of the Perfect Teaching or the first ground of the Distinct Teaching, who have broken through ignorance and realized the Dharma body, are called the Buddha's "true sons."

What about practitioners of the Two Vehicles (the Hearers and Solitary Realizers)? They can only be called "secondary sons." Bodhisattvas are the "eldest son," while "secondary sons" refer to those of collateral descent, not the main line of inheritance. Why are Two Vehicle practitioners called "secondary sons"? First, they meet the condition of being "born from the Buddha's mouth," as the teachings of the Four Noble Truths and Twelve Nidanas they practice were all taught by the Buddha. Second, their minds are genuinely "born from transformation through the Dharma" based on the Four Noble Truths and Twelve Nidanas, giving rise to the path of emptiness that subdues afflictions within their minds. Finally, they attain the nirvana of emptiness and thus "attain a share of the Buddha's Dharma." However, they do not inherit the family business of the Buddha's teachings; they only abide in the state of emptiness. Unlike the Mahayana "Dharma body," which can "manifest in all forms to suit the needs of sentient beings," uphold and propagate the correct Dharma, and carry on the Buddha's wisdom legacy, the Two Vehicle practitioners are thus "secondary sons."

What about ordinary beings? Since they generally only engage in charitable work, believe in taking refuge in the Three Jewels, abandon evil and practice good, and have deep faith in karma and its fruits, they are called "outer sons," meaning sons who are still wandering outside. Ordinary beings only meet the condition of being "born from the Buddha's mouth"; they have not achieved "birth from transformation through the Dharma," let alone "attained a share of the Buddha's Dharma." Therefore, they have not yet developed the seeds of transcendent good roots, and are called "outer sons," still wandering outside the door.

This is why there are three conditions for being a "Buddha's son." In this context, why does the Buddha affirm that the poor son is a "Buddha's son"? First, because he cultivated the seeds of Mahayana good roots in his past lives; in light of these past good roots, the Buddha says, "You are all my sons." Second, looking to the future: after encountering the Buddha, he will receive guidance from the Lotus Sutra in the future, come to understand the principle that "provisional and ultimate teachings are not two," and ultimately attain the fruit of the Mahayana path. So the Buddha praises the poor son in advance, saying, "You are all my sons," for this reason.