Parable of the Burning House & Buddhism Today

One day, a fire broke out in the house of a wealthy man who had many children. The wealthy man shouted at his children inside the burning house to flee. But, the children were absorbed in their games and did not heed his warning, though the house was being consumed by flames.

Then, the wealthy man devised a practical way to lure the children from the burning house. Knowing that the children were fond of interesting playthings, he called out to them, "Listen! Outside the gate are the carts that you have always wanted: carts pulled by goats, carts pulled by deer, and carts pulled by oxen. Why don't you come out and play with them?" The wealthy man knew that these things would be irresistible to his children.

The children, eager to play with these new toys rushed out of the house but, instead of the carts that he had promised, the father gave them a cart much better than any he has described - a cart draped with precious stones and pulled by white bullocks. The important thing being that the children were saved from the dangers of the house on fire.

"Fire" refers to desire and its sinful daughter, lust. Desire leads to anger and hatred if a person's lust is unchecked. Lust for things like money is greed. Lust for sex leads to sexual dysfunction.

Lust for power is the worst of all — this is what the Republicans and their religious right supporters suffer from, due to self-denial and repression of their sexual urges.

"House" refers to the human body.

Thus a burning house refers to a person who is not yet Enlightened.

"Wealthy man" refers to a Buddhist priest who is given spiritual wealth through faith in the Buddha and belief in the core tenets of Buddhism, as well as the core practice of samatha-vipassana. It may also refer to the spiritual aspects of a Buddhist who practices his faith earnestly. Thus meditation provides spiritual wealth that being worldly does not. Indeed, being worldly results in spiritual poverty.

"Many children" refers to his Buddhist pupils. It may also refer to the six consciousnesses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and cogitating (thinking limited to the five senses).

The wealthy man shouting to his children to flee the burning house refers to the Buddhist meditating and discovering what the six consciousnesses are. It also refers to the call of Amida Buddha, the Name-that-calls.

"The children absorbed in their games" refers to the six consciousnesses which are too ignorant to flee the body and come to the safety of the wealthy man, to be under his control.

Not heeding the wealthy man's warning is the lot of a person who has yet to meditate, and cannot control his senses including the use of his mind.

In the second paragraph is the paraphrase of what the Buddha does: he "lies" to the six consciousnesses in order to save them. The three carts pulled by goats, deer and oxen refers to the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

The children coming out of the burning house refers to the six consciousnesses being trained through meditation.

The cart draped with precious stones and pulled by white bullocks refers to samadhi, the mind focused on meditation.

In this parable is the story of a Buddhist who puts his faith in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. The "lie" that the Buddha tells Buddhists is that by putting faith in the Three Treasures, one is saved from lust. The truth is this: Samatha-Vipassana meditation helps the Buddhist to place the six consciousnesses under his control.

For the Buddha is long dead, the Dharma is rarely preached, and the Sangha organized Buddhism into a religion. Since then, rare is it that the Sangha practices what the Buddha taught. Instead, the Theravada Sangha has lusted for political power, and control who becomes the leader of a nation where the Sangha are king-makers such as Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka. This is the fuel for the fire, and their houses burn.

In contrast, the Mahayana and the Vajrayana sects have flourished wherever they kept their noses out of politics and instead, led the people to respect the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha through meditation and optionally chanting the Buddha's name, provided that they do not make a religion of their practice to force upon Hindus, Muslims, and the people who practice other faiths.

Let this be a warning to Buddhists and other faiths. When you turn your faith into a religion, you only cause lust to inflame desire for power and control over others. Instead, strive to turn your faith into no religion by practice of compassion. Then you shall be rewarded with spiritual treasures beyond your imagination.

YMMV

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Originally posted: December 24, 2005 10:12 PM PST

Meditation on The Nembutsu

By calling to Amida as He simultaneously calls to her, the devotee consistently affirms one's gratitude through the Name-that-calls.

With consistent affirmation, the Name-that-calls helps her uncover the precious treasure known as Buddha Nature.

Uncovering Buddha Nature, the devotee realizes that she is a sentient being, subject to the limits of existence.

Knowing these limits helps the devotee to devote herself to the Buddha.

In devoting herself to the Buddha, she deepens her faith in Him, His teachings, and the Buddhist community.

In deepening her faith, she continues her affirmation through gratitude to Amida.

This affirmation through gratitude to Amida Buddha is called Buddha Remembrance

Buddha Remembrance helps the devotee to listen with her heartmind.

Listening with her heartmind, she is able to hear Amida Buddha calling, and simultaneously call to Him.

The Ultimate Pain-killer

If you are afraid of pain,
if you don't like it,
do nothing evil,
either openly or in secret.
For if you do,
even if you get up and run away
you won't escape its pain.
If you are afraid of pain,
if you don't like it,
take refuge in the Buddha,
the Dharma and the Sangha.
Train in the precepts.
This is good.

-Theri-Gatha, 246-249

In this context, "pain" refers to the psychic pain of suffering. It is called psychic because suffering affects the psyche i.e. the mind.

"Evil" refers to mental calculation to achieve short-term satisfaction by an ordinary mind.

"Do nothing evil" thus means to do everything that is good. It stands to reason to include all acts both openly and in secret.

When one does evil, running away will not allow one to escape the pain of suffering.

Since we are afraid of pain and do not like to suffer, taking refuge in the Three Treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is the solution.

By training in the precepts, the Buddhist is doing great good. His actions will neutralize the evil he has done.

This Love Knows No Bounds (a Poem)

Where mere mortals fear to tread,
this sacred Love True
stands high above human lust,
for but a heartbeat,
this Love knows no common bounds.

At birth we suffer;
in life we suffer also;
yet when your time draws
to a close so suddenly,
forget regret and expire.

Nothing lasts, I know this Truth;
Birth is followed by
Life, and Life by Death again!
Yet life is both joy
and pain, no profit, no gain!

What is this True Love
but the heart-mind unfolded,
at peace with the world
and with the Buddha, Dharma,
and the Sangha? It is Love.

When my body becomes dust,
and my mind a memory lost,
where is the soul? What of karma?
In death my past actions move on.
For what is karma but this Love
so precious that knows no bounds?

Namu Amida Butsu!

Vow of Three Treasures

To the end of time, I take refuge in the Buddha;
To the end of time, I take refuge in the Dharma;
To the end of time, I take refuge in the Sangha.

This vow is the most valuable of all spiritual practices in Buddhism.

Once you make it, breaking it would lead to the eight wrongs as opposed to the rights of the Eightfold Path.

So choose carefully how sincerely you read the three treasured vows