A Parable

Chapter 3

 

Sutra:

“…in order to save living beings from the fires of birth, old age, sickness, death, grief, misery, stupidity, dullness, and the three poisons. He teaches and transforms them, leading them to the attainment of Anuttarasamyaksambodhi.”

Outline:

L2. Thirty sons.

Commentary:

Why did Shakyamuni Buddha come into the flaming house of the Three Realms? He came to liberate all living beings. This is because living beings in the burning house do not know enough to be afraid. They do not wake up to the fact that there is no peace in the Three Realms.

The Buddha came in order to save living beings from the fires of birth. When we are born, it is a great suffering. It is as painful as ripping the shell from a live tortoise. Old age is even more painful. You are not free in any respect. Your four limbs, your internal organs, your eyes and ears all refuse to help you out. It is really rough. While you are young, you feel strong and healthy. But when you get old, if you then get sick, it is even worse. You have to lay in bed all day as the sickness wears on and grows more painful.

Then, there is death which is as painful as flaying the skin from a live cow. There is all this grief, misery, stupidity, dullness, and the three poisons; greed, hatred, and stupidity. He teaches and transforms them, leading them to the attainment of Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. He leads living beings to enlightenment. The Buddha came into the Three Realms to teach living beings. Because we living beings have no idea how compassionate the Buddha is, we do not think to escape the Three Realms. The Buddha exhausts himself waiting, waiting for us, and getting nervous on top of it all. We should strike up our spirits to hurry and get out of the Three Realms. Do not hang around in the burning house!

Sutra:

“He sees all living beings are scorched by birth, old age, sickness, death, grief, and misery. They undergo various sufferings, because of the Five Desires, wealth and profit. Further, because of their clinging and grasping, they presently undergo a mass of sufferings and in the future will undergo sufferings in the hells, among the animals, or hungry ghosts. If born in the heavens or among human beings, they will suffer poverty and distress, the suffering of being separated from what one loves, the suffering of being joined together with one hates, and all the various sufferings such as these.

However, living beings sunk in morass, joyfully sport, unaware, unknowing, unalarmed and unafraid. They do not grow satiated nor do they seek liberation. In the burning house of the Three Realms, they run about from east to west. Although they encounter tremendous sufferings, they are not concerned.”

“Shariputra, having seen this, the Buddha further thinks, ‘I am the father of living beings. I should rescue them from these sufferings and difficulties, and give them the limitless and boundless joy of the Buddha-wisdom to play with.’”

Outline:

K2. Correlation of specific parts of the parable.
L1. Correlation of seeing the fire.

Commentary:

He sees all beings are scorched by birth, old age, sickness, death, grief, and misery. These sufferings are like a great fire in which living beings are burned. They are like hot water in which they boiled. They undergo various sufferings, because of the Five Desires, wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep. The five desires are also explained as forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangible objects. They turn people upside-down.

Why do people do evil deeds? It is because they are turned by the five desires. Why do people do good deeds? It is because they look upon the five desires with indifference. They have seen them for what they are and have broken their attachments to them. “So that is what they are all about,” they think. “No matter how much money I get, I cannot take it with me. No matter how lovely the partner, when I die, it is all over. Now matter how good the food, once it hits my stomach, it changes. Once it has turned to excrement, no matter how fine it was to begin with, no one would want to eat it. If you put even the tiniest speck of excrement on a plate of exquisite food, no one would go near it. Once it goes through the machine, it is completely different. So food cannot be all that important.

Now, sleep...the more you sleep, the more you want to sleep. All day long you are in a daze. If you have a good reputation, when it is time to die, it evaporates!” You should see through the five desires. Then, you can do good deeds and foster merit and virtue. The Shurangama Sutra tells us that if you become a Buddha it is through the use of your six senses. If you commit offenses and fall into the hells, it is also because of your six senses. The five desires work in the same way. If you do not understand, you are attached to the five desires, you lust after them and cannot put them down. People with understanding put them down and they use the strength they have to do good deeds. The five desires work that way. Wealth and profit: Because of their greedy pursuit of the five desires, wealth and self-benefit, they use many tricks to get them and when they fail, they suffer in many ways.

Further, because of the clinging and grasping, they presently undergo a mass of sufferings. Because they are greedy for the five desires in this life, they suffer a lot. They suffer from the frustration of their ambitions. They create much offense karma and so in the future will undergo suffering in the hells, among the animals, or hungry ghosts. If born in the heavens or among human beings, they will suffer poverty and distress. They will be poor and utterly wretched. Poor people find it hard to give. Even if they want to do merit and virtue, they do not get a chance. They just keep getting poorer and poorer. Pretty soon, they have no home, no land, nothing at all. Cultivators who practice giving keep increasing their wealth. Why? Because they give it away! The more they give, the more good roots they have and so the more wealth they acquire. Because of this, while we have the strength, we must nourish our good roots. If you wait until the last minute, you would not be able to even if you want to.

The suffering of being separated from what one loves: Circumstances often force people to separate from whatever or whomever they cherish most dearly. When that happens, they experience extreme pain.

The suffering of being joined together with what one hates: Hatred means there is no affinity between people. If you have an affinity with someone, you would not mind it even if they scold you or beat you. You will still feel good about them. If you have no affinity with a person, no matter how you praise them and respect them, there are still no good feelings between you. You may praise them, but they will say you are ridiculing them. You may be speaking well of them, but they will say you are being sarcastic. Lots of misunderstandings occur. No matter how good you are to them, they continue to despise you. There is not a darn thing you can do about it! That is the suffering of beings joined with what you hate. If you hate them, you may even move somewhere else to get away from them, but as soon as you get there, you run into someone exactly like them. They bring you so much grief. This is because you did not create an affinity with them in former lives. You set up antipathy instead.

And all the various sufferings such as these. However, living beings sunk in this morass, joyfully sport, unaware, unknowing, unalarmed, and unafraid. Sunk in this suffering, they do not realize they are suffering. They play happily thinking it is great fun. Like the thirty children in the burning house, they are not afraid of dying, they are not scared in the least.

They do not grow satiated, nor do they seek liberation. Because they do not know suffering leads to affliction, they do not grow satiated. Because they do not seek the Way to certify to extinction, they do not seek liberation. In the burning house of the Three Realms, they run about from east to west. Although they encounter tremendous sufferings, they are not concerned. Everything in this world is a form of suffering. They do not worry, however, because they take suffering as bliss.

Shariputra, having seen this, the Buddha further thinks, ‘I am the father of living beings. I am the guide of the Three Realms, the compassionate father to all beings in the four classes of birth and I should rescue them from these sufferings and difficulties, help them escape it. And give them the limitless, and boundless joy of the Buddha-wisdom to play with. I should save them from their troubles—that is the Buddha’s great compassionate heart. Giving them the joy of the Buddha’s wisdom—that is the heart of great kindness. In this way, all living beings can play safely and happily in the great kindness and compassion of the Great Vehicle Buddhadharma.

We were just talking about the suffering of povery. You may wonder, “What about people who are wealthy?” That, too, is a form of suffering. It is the suffering of happiness.

“But how can happiness be suffering?”

When happiness reaches its extreme, it turns into its opposite. Although it is said that it is hard to give when one is poor, it is also true that it is hard to cultivate the Way when one is rich. Was Shakyamuni Buddha wealthy? He was extremely wealthy. But he was able to cultivate the Way.

When the Buddha was in the world, the following incident took place: At that time, they used to burn oil lamps as a kind of offering to the Buddha. The person in charge of the lamps put them out during the day and lit them at night. One day, a very poor man came to the temple with a gift of about a gallon of oil as an offering to be used for the lamps. The person in charge of the lamps found that no matter how hard he tried, he could not put out the lamp that the poor man had lit. All the Bhikshus came and tried to blow it out, like candles on a birthday cake, but they just could not do it. Even Mahamaudgalyayana, foremost in spiritual powers, could not blow it out. He used his spiritual powers to create a wind, but that did not work either. Then, he rounded up the biggest wind–the Vairambha wind which emerges from behind Mount Sumeru–and even that did not work. So he went and asked the Buddha, “How come the lamp is playing such tricks today? No one can blow it out.”

The Buddha said, “You do not know, but that person who came today with the oil is a poor beggar. The oil he bought took his entire life savings. His lamp will never go out.”

And it never did.

Because he gave everything he had, the light just never went out, no matter what spiritual powers were used. If you are poor but can still give, that is genuine giving, genuine merit and virtue. The less you have, the more your gift counts.

“If you have a lot and give, does that not count?”

It is still giving, but those who are wealthy find it hard to cultivate. Those who are poor, if they can give, that is real giving. When rich people give, it is not that special.

Sutra:

“Shariputra, the Thus Come One further thinks, ‘If I merely use spiritual power and the power of wisdom, and cast aside expedients, praising for all living beings the power of the Thus Come One’s Knowledge and Vision, Powers, and Fearlessnesses, living beings will not be able to saved in this way. Why is this? All of these living beings have not yet escaped birth, old age, sickness, death, grief and misery. They are being scorched in the burning house of the Three Realms. How could they understand the wisdom of the Buddha?’”

Outline:

L2. Correlation of casting aside the table to use carts.
M1. Correlation of casting aside the table.
N1. Correlation of proper of casting aside the table.

Commentary:

The Buddha calls out again, “Shariputra, the Thus Come One further thinks, ‘If I merely use spiritual power and the power of wisdom, All-wisdom, Wisdom of the Way, and the Wisdom of All Modes and cast aside expedients, praising for all living beings the power of the Thus Come One’s Knowledge and Vision, Powers, and Fearlessnesses, the Buddha’s Ten Powers and Four Fearlessnesses, living beings will not be able to be saved. Living beings cannot, by means of these causes and conditions, gain liberation.

Why is this? All these living beings have not yet escaped birth, old age, sickness, death, grief, and misery. They are being scorched in the burning house of the Three Realms. They are like children who have not understood the principles of human life. Therefore, in the flames of the Three Realms–the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm–they are being burned.

How could they understand the wisdom of the Buddha. They never knew about the Buddhadharma, so if you tell them about the Buddha’s wisdom, they could not understand it. For example, in the West, many people have never heard the word “Buddha.” Because of their unfamiliarity, many people are afraid of Buddhism, like the student who came today. I asked him, “Why have you stayed away so long?”

He said, “I was afraid.”

I asked him what he was afraid of, and he could not tell me. I said, “This person is afraid of becoming a Buddha, afraid of getting enlightened, afraid of gaining understanding.” Once you understand, you cannot continue to do confused things. Some people clearly know something is wrong, but want to do it anyway. They are quite clear that it is wrong to break precepts, but they are determined to do so. They know that taking drugs is wrong, but they do it anyway.

Before you have studied the Buddhadharma, if you made mistakes, it is not important. But once you understand the Buddhadharma, if you continue to make mistakes this is called “Clearly knowing, and delilberately violating the rules.” If you do this, your offenses are tripled. Say originally you did not know about the law, broke it, and got five years in jail. If you get out and then break it again, you will get twenty years for the second offense.

Those of you who have made mistakes had better hurry and change. Those who have not made mistakes should be even more vigorous in their cultivation. Do not deliberately violate the rules. That is just a mistake on top of a mistake, confusion atop confusion, suffering in suffering. It is very dangerous, dangerous within the dangerous. You are bound to be drawing very close to the hells, the realm of animals, and the realm of the hungry ghosts.

When pepole make mistakes, on the first offense, if they really repent, then there is still hope. When they commit it the second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth time, their offense karma increases to astronomical proportions. The more you do it, the lower you are bound to fall. If you can return from the road of confusion, hurry and get back on the right track, then:

Although the sea of suffering is boundless,
A turn of the head is the other shore.

The sea of pain has no limit whatsoever, but once you change, you have made it across. People who have made mistakes must change. Those who have not should work even harder to do better. Confucius said, “If you have committed offenses, do not be afraid to reform.” If you have made mistakes, do not be afraid to change. If you are afraid to reform, then your offenses will always be with you. But if you can reform, those offenses disappear.

Sutra:

“Shariputra, just as that Elder, although he had a powerful body and arms, did not use them, but merely applied expedients with diligence to save all the children from disaster in the burning house, and afterwards gave to each of them a great cart adorned with precious jewels, in the same way, the Thus Come One, although he has powers and fearlessnesses, does not use them.”

Outline:

N2. Correlation of not using strength.

Commentary:

The Thus Come One’s wisdom is hard to understand and hard to comprehend. That is why the Buddha bestows the provisional for the sake of the real. He sets forth expedient Dharma-doors for the sake of real wisdom.

Shariputra, the Buddha calls out again. Shariputra is foremost among the Hearer Disciples in wisdom. However, when you talk about the wisdom of the Bodhisattvas, he certainly does not rank first there. Manjushri is the first of the Bodhisattvas in wisdom.

Just as that Elder, previously mentioned, although he had a powerful body and arms. This refers to the Buddha’s spiritual powers, inexhaustible in their wonderful function. Did not use them. The Buddha had both spiritual powers and real wisdom. He could use his spiritual powers to teach living beings, but he does not. He could teach living beings with real wisdom, but he does not. What does he keep them back for? Is the Buddha too stingy to use them. Is he afraid he will use them up? No.

But merely applied expedients with diligence: He is very busy and does not rest. He bestows the provisional for the sake of the real. He teaches the Three Vehicles–Hearers, Condition-Enlightened Ones, and Bodhisattvas–for the sake of the One Buddha Vehicle.

To save all the children from disaster in the burning house: He uses clever, expedient Dharma-doors to save living beings. He rescues all the thirty sons, that is, those of the Three Vehicles. He saves the five hundred people, that is, the beings in the five destinies. The thirty children are the true sons of the Buddha. The five hundred people represent living beings in general. The Buddha rescues them all from disaster in the burning house, from the Three Realms in which no peace can be found. The burning house is very dangerous and if you do not find a way to get out, you are going to burn to death.

Burned by what fire? By the fire of the three poisons, greed, hatred, and stupidity. In the Three Realms, one is burn by the three poisons. It is incredibly dangerous.

And afterwards gave to each of the them a great cart adorned with precious jewels. The Buddha used the sheep carts, deer carts, and ox carts, saying they were outside the door. In this way, he “cheated” the children into running out of the house. Then he gave each of them a great white ox cart adorned with the Six Perfections and the Ten Thousand Practices. The great white ox cart is just the Great Vehicle, the Buddha-vehicle, not the Bodhisattva-vehicle.

There is only one vehicle;
There are no other vehicles.

Then why didn’t Shakyamuni Buddha employ the great white ox cart before? Why did he say there were three carts? It was because if he had talked about the great white ox cart, the children would not have been able to formulate any conception of what they were like. Little children like little things. If he had talked about a great cart, they might have gotten scared and dared to think of wanting them.

Likewise, if you do not mention the Three Vehicles, but start right out talking about the Buddha Vehicle, people will be afraid. “How could that be? How could we become Buddhas?” they think. And then, not only do they fail to go forward, they retreat. That is why the Buddha used clever expedients to babysit the kids. A babysitter has to know how to speak the child’s language. Otherwise, he cannot do a good job. The Buddha knows that living beings have no such great wisdom and that is why he speaks of the Three Vehicles. He waited until the Dharma Flower Assembly to let it all out in the open, to proclaim the entire substance of the Buddhadharma to all living beings. When he told them they could become Buddhas, that was like the gift of the great jeweled cart.

In the same way, the Thus Come One, although he has powers and fearlessnesses, does not use them. He does not use the real wisdom of the Ten Powers or the strength of the Four Fearlessnesses. Didn’t I just say that the Buddha did not use his spiritual powers, his real wisdom? If he had used them, living beings would not have understood what he was doing. He spoke the expedients instead. But here, in the Dharma Flower Assembly, he opens the provisional to reveal the real. The entire Buddhadharma is told to living beings so that they can all quickly realize the Buddha Way.

Sutra:

“He merely uses wisdom and expedients to rescue living beings from the burning house of the Three Realms, speaking to them of Three Vehicles: those of Hearer, Pratyeka Buddha, and Buddha.”

Outline:

M2. Correlation of using the carts.

N1. Correlation of suitability of three carts and knowing the children’s former thoughts.

Commentary:

The Buddha’s expedient dharmas are controlled by wisdom. With wise expedients, one observes the conditions and dispenses the teaching, speaking the Dharma appropriate to the person. Like prescribing a drug for a certain illness, one teaches a certain dharma appropriate to that person. Living beings have many illnesses--greed, hatred, and stupidity being the most violent. These three poisons smother the wisdom of our Dharma bodies.

Greed means you can never get enough. The more the better! There is no time of satiation. Would you say this was violent or not? Since one is never satisfied, one lusts day and night, at all times.

When your greed is frustrated, it turns into hatred. “It is not the way I want it!” you shout as you explode with anger. You cannot even sleep at night thinking of ways to get even. Once hatred arises, you manifest an asura face and that is ugly! Your contorted features–eyes, ears, and nose–move to the middle of your face–a big family, all united! They get together to do business. What business? Beating people! Refusing to speak! Scowling with a black face so that everyone runs off with their tails between their legs! “Let us get out of here. This guy is a human bomb! He is an atom bomb looking for a place to explode.” Not only do you hurt yourself, you hurt other people as well. Not only do you hurt other people, you hurt yourself in the process. How is that? Once that ignorance is set ablaze, every bit of self-discipline you had accumulated goes up in a blaze along with your wisdom. I mean, take a look, angry people are incredibly stupid. If they were not stupid, they would not get angry! Which truly wise person has ever had a nasty temper?

When you get angry, your facial features move to the center of your face, ready for battle. Hatred works like that--asura-face. Angry people are all asuras. Now, am I indulging in name-calling here? No. Asuras just like to get angry. They have no other talent. All day long they express themselves by getting angry. Why do they get angry? Because they are greedy. Without greed, one would have no reason to get angry. Why do they get angry? Because they are stupid. Intelligent people do not get angry. Those who habitually get angry can be lumped together in the Dharma Realm of the asuras. Greed, hatred, and stupidity burn off your inherent wisdom, the merit and virtue of your Dharma body. It is the biggest fire there is.

The Buddhas uses wisdom to speak expedient Dharma-doors and know which Dharma to speak when he meets any given person. The Buddha speaks the Dharma with a single sound and living beings understand it according to their kind. The Buddha explains the doctrine of cultivation which leads to the realization of Buddhahood. It wakes people up. When spirits hear it, they also rise to the Bodhi-mind and cultivate. When Bodhisattvas hear it, they also give rise to the Bodhi-mind. When the Arhats hear it, they do, too. The same applies to the Conditoned Enlightened Ones. Living beings in the nine Dharma Realms all produce the Bodhi-mind when they hear the Buddha speak (or expound) the Dharma. The Buddha uses one sound to speak the Dharma; the different kinds of living beings all understand the wonderfulness of it. That is what is meant by expedient wisdom. Using wise expedients, one teaches and transforms living beings.

To rescue living beings from the burning house of the Three Realms: He rescues them just as if extending his hand to living beings sinking in mud, to pull them to safety. Living beings are trapped in the burning house of the Three Realms and are just on the verge of dying in the fire. They have been burned so badly that they cannot move their hands or walk. Along comes the fireman–the Buddha–with fire extinguisher in hand to save living beings. He is not afraid of hurting himself. He runs right into the Three Realms to help us.

Seeing how compassionate the Buddha is towards us, if we have even the slightest trace of conscience we should be weeping bitter tears, “The Buddha is so good to us. If we do not cultivate now...God!..we cannot even be considered human. We are gonna fall into the hells, right in with the hungry ghosts, right into the animal realm.” So how can we cry over some long lost friend or some relative who is in trouble? Here we are ourselves, just about ready to burn to death in the burning house, and the Buddha forsakes his very life to save all living beings. If we do not cultivate now, we are really letting the Buddha down. We are flying in the face of the Buddha’s kindness, compassion, joy, and giving. His kindness bestows joy and his compassion relieves us of our sufferings. He is saving us from our sufferings so we can be happy. We really should bring forth the Bodhi-mind. Do not be lazy like you were before. You should know a little shame and not continue to be as obstinate as you have been. Wake up! The Buddha is waiting for us!

“But Dharma Master,” you say, “you just told us that the Buddha freely parts with his very life in order to save us. Since he has already become a Buddha, does he still have to die?”

The Buddha does not die, right, but living beings do. Although the Buddha has ended birth and death and would not die again, we have not. Also, our lives are just the Buddha’s life. That is why if we do not hurry up and end birth and death by cultivating the Way, we will, in a sense, be dragging the Buddha around to die with us! So you should hurry and bring forth the Bodhi-mind. Be vigorous. The Buddha discriminated and spoke of Three Vehicles in order to teach and transform living beings.

Speaking to them of Three Vehicles: those of Hearer, Pratyeka Buddha (Condition-Enlightened Ones), and Buddha: The Buddha Vehicle is for becoming a Buddha. The three carts are hitched and waiting for us. Whichever cart you want, you pick it out. You cannot just listen to the Sutra. Go and take your share. The Buddha has given us Three Vehicles. We all have a share in it. If you want a great white ox cart, he will give it to you. If you would rather have a deer cart, he has got one in stock. If you want a sheep cart, the compact model, that is okay, too. If you do not want any of them--then the Buddha has no way to save you.

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