The first two analogies are the sounds of thunder and a drum. In the past, people believed that everybody everywhere heard thunder at the same time. They did not know that thunder was a local phenomenon. They believed that in the springtime, when the first sound of thunder clapped in the sky, all beings on earth, whether sleeping, resting or hibernating, were instantly awakened. Likewise, there is a legend in India about a special drum. If you smear poison on the skin of the drum and then beat it, any enemy who hears the sound will die.

These analogies compare preaching Buddhadharma to the clap of thunder and the beating of a poison-smeared drum. The clap of thunder that awakens all beings in springtime is like Buddhadharma. The Dharma awakens all sentient beings who are lost in the dream of vexation by showing them the truths of Buddhism. The poison-smeared drum is likened to the Buddhadharma's ability to destroy the false views of outer path followers and demons.

In the second line, the cloud of compassion is like a cloud which temporarily covers the relentless rays of the sun on a sweltering day. When the sun is covered by clouds on a hot day, people are relieved. The heat produced by the brilliant sun is like the suffering produced by vexation, and the cloud that covers the earth and shields sentient beings is Buddhadharma.