The Parable of the Fertile Land

"At that time, was present among the congregation, an upasaka who was the son of an artisan of the fortress town of Kushinagar. Cunda was his name. He was there with his comrades, fifteen in all. In the sense that the world would generate good fruit, he abandoned all bodily adornments, stood up, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, joined his hands and stared at the Buddha. Sad and tearfully, he touched the feet of the Buddha with his head and said: 'Oh World Honored One! Please have pity, accept our latest offerings and succor innumerable beings. Oh World Honored One! From now on, we no longer have a master, no parents, no salvation, no protection, no place wherein to take refuge, nor a place to go; we will become poor and hungry. Following the Tathagata, we desire to gain food for days to come. Please have pity and accept our humble offerings, and then enter Nirvana. Oh World Honored One! It's like in the case of a Kshatriya, Brahmin, Vaishya or Sudra, who being poor, travels to a far-off country. He works at farming and gains a tamed cow. The land is good, flat and wide. There is no poverty or sandy soil, no harmful weeds, no barrenness and no defilements. What is needful is to wait by the rain from heaven. We say 'tamed cow': This may be understood as the seven actions of body and mouth; and good, flat and wide land, can be understood as Wisdom. Ending the poor soil, harmful weeds, barrenness and defilements refers to illusion, which we must do away with. Oh World Honored One! Now we have the tamed cow and good soil, we have cultivated the land and done away with all weeds. Now, We are just waiting for the sweet rain of the Tathagata's Dharma visit us. The four castes of poverty are nothing more than the carnal body that I possess. I am poor because I do not possess the superb treasure of Dharma. I pray, have pity and cut away our poverty, misery, and deliver us, as well all the innumerable beings, of our sorrows and worries. The offerings that I make are paltry. But, I think they will satisfy the Tathagata and the Sangha. Now, I have no master, no parents, and no refuge. Please have pity on us, as you have on Rahula '."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 2 - On Cunda.