Zen - Lotus Sutra

The Lotus Sutra, for all the Mahayana traditions, is the "pearl" of literature and wisdom. It is beautifully written - the source of many of the metaphors, similes, and stories that you hear most often in Buddhism. One of the most popular, for example, tells the story of a man who went out drinking with his best friend until quite late one night. His friend, a very rich man, sewed a priceless jewel into the hem of his robe. But the man traveled over the world in poverty because he did not know he had it, just as we have a priceless jewel but are never aware of it.

- SENSEI PAT ENKYO O'HARA, VILLAGE ZENDO