The parable also has a deeper meaning PDF

Preview

Summary

notes on Parable ...

Description

The parable of the burning house is narrated by the Buddha to one of his disciples, Sariputra. In brief; There lived a wealthy man along with his children in an old, collapsing mansion consisting of only one small door. Suddenly one day the mansion was enveloped in flames. The father was able to quickly escape, through the door, without any harm. When he was outside he was astounded to see his sons still inside not bothered by the fire, continuing to play with their toys. Though the father was strong enough to carry his sons out, he decided not to because the door was too small for all of them to go through at the same time. He yelled out to the children, warning them about the fire and asking them to come out of the house immediately, but the children ignored him and continued being engrossed with their toys. He then lured the children out by promising them much better toys to play with. A goat cart, a deer cart and an ox cart. Once his children were outside he didn’t give them the toys he had promised them, instead gave them an ox cart, embedded with precious metals. A cart he considered greater than any he had promised them. The parable is a metaphor, illustrating our world. The father is compared to the Buddha. The burning house represents the three-fold universe and samsara- the repeated cycle of birth and death we are trapped in. The flames correspond to the sufferings in the world including sickness, old age and death. The clueless children are the common people. The toys their cravings and desires. The three carts promised to the children by the father represent paths the Buddha taught to reach enlightenment. The grand ox cart finally provided by the father to each child represents Mahayana. “Fortunately, I was able to quickly…does not occur to them.”, Here the point been made is that the Buddha was the only one who realized that there was suffering present in the world and immediately escaped it while the rest of us were ignorant to the suffering surrounding us, distracted by and attached to the worldly temporary pleasures within. Though the Buddha tried warning us we disregarded his warnings as we were happy and comforted in the moment. In the description of the mansion and the emphasis on it having a single door, ‘great mansion… falling to pieces.’, the point being made is that the world we live in is old and the cycle of samsara we are a part of is endless. There is only a single path to escape this. ‘But then it occurred to him…come to disaster in the flames.’, tells us that we all have to carry ourselves out. The Buddha helps us by motivating us, telling us it is a better place outside, and giving us incentives to exit, but he will and cannot carry us to the other side himself. Another main point being made in the parable is that the Buddha is not considered to be a liar even though he did deceive the children by promising them 3 carts and only giving them one in the end. This is because he saved their lives by getting them out, which is considered to be a gif greater than all the carts he had offered them. The three carts he promised them at the beginning was to draw their attention away from the five senses (touch, odor, sight, sound and taste) and towards something greater like perfect knowledge and supernatural powers. But once they were out the Buddha believed that the final cart he provided the children with was of the greatest value. The supreme path to nirvana- the only way to escape samsara. Ignorance, craving and suffering, all three are shown to take place in the house. The children are ignorant to the flames, distracted by their cravings for their toys and will suffer from the heat

and burns of the flame. And we are forced to consider taking the only path exiting the house, the path to Buddhahood....