Sutra on the Filial Son (Fo Shuo Xiaozi Jing) 佛說孝子經

Translated by Unknown

Colophon

第 16 冊 No. 687 佛說孝子經 失譯 共 1 卷 Volume 16, No. 687; Sutra on the Filial Son (Fo Shuo Xiaozi Jing); Translated by Unknown in 1 scroll

Notes

Date 265-317 from Lancaster (Lancaster 2004, 'K 827')

English Translations

Cole, R. Alan 1998, Mothers and Sons in Chinese Buddhism. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, pp. 68-78.

Summary

The Buddha asked the monks how one could repay the deep love and sacrifices of parents, who endure great pain in childbirth and devote their lives to raising their children. The monks responded that honoring and caring for one's parents with kindness was the best way to repay them. However, the Buddha explained that true filial piety is not just about material care but guiding one's parents toward righteousness—encouraging them to follow moral teachings, avoid evil, and uphold the Five Precepts. He emphasized that leading parents to spiritual enlightenment outweighs any physical support, as it ensures their well-being in both this life and the afterlife.

Primary Source

Unknown, 《佛說孝子經》 'Fo Shuo Xiaozi Jing,' in Taishō shinshū Daizōkyō 《大正新脩大藏經》, in Takakusu Junjiro, ed., (Tokyo: Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō Kankōkai, 1988), Vol. 16, No. 687, Accessed 2016-09-24, http://tripitaka.cbeta.org/T16n0687.

References

  1. Lancaster, L.R. 2004, The Korean Buddhist Canon: A Descriptive Catalogue, http://www.acmuller.net/descriptive_catalogue.

Collection vocabulary analysis