Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Saving the Children from the Burning House (大火宅燒思惟救子)
Date: April.22. 2015
“The Buddha applied compassion and wisdom for the sake of His one great cause. For suffering sentient beings, He is like a compassionate father. He sees His sons being immature and causing trouble. Only Right Faith can eliminate disasters.”
The Buddha applied compassion and wisdom for the sake of His one great cause. Because sentient beings are suffering, the Buddha acts as their compassionate father. He is also the guiding teacher of the Three Realms. How can He enable all sentient beings of the Three Realms to understand the true principles and penetrate the Great Dharma? He is like a kind father who hopes his children will work hard and be successful and have a clear understanding of morality. Understanding this proper behavior is most important in life.
However, sentient beings are very immature. Not only are they immature, they are like stubborn children who do not listen and are unwilling to learn. They just want to play and are very restless. They simply cannot abide by the rules. Children like this will easily cause trouble. This is what most worries parents. Therefore, we need teachers who will not give up on their students and will do everything they can to teach us. [The Buddha] is like a compassionate parent who never gives up on his children. No matter how badly children behave, their parents still love them. Thus, the Buddha had to mindfully devise teachings. The only solution was proper belief. He inspired us to develop the proper beliefs. If we stray from these beliefs or if we are slow to accept this Dharma, if we take our time in practicing our beliefs, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will worry.
A previous sutra passage mentioned the 10, 20 or 30 sons. The ones the Buddha worried most about were the “20 or 30 sons”. The “10” had already understood and accepted the Buddha’s teachings. They formed great aspirations and made the Four Great Vows to deliver all sentient beings. They were willing to go among people, thus they cultivated the Four Infinite Minds. They willingly and happily gave everything; this is the Bodhisattva-mind. Not only were they inspired, they put the teachings into practice.
For example, in the Samyuktavadana Sutra, there is a story about this. There was once a small kingdom whose king was named Sarvada. He was benevolent, believed in the Dharma and had formed great aspirations. He regarded his people as his own children, cherishing and protecting them.
In a neighboring kingdom, there was a poor person who often fell ill. However, he could not afford a doctor. So, he traveled to this kingdom to ask King Sarvada to save him by helping him receive treatment for his illnesses. Many doctors came to see the man and prescribed medicine, but nothing was effective.
Later, the king gathered all the doctors and asked, “How come you cannot cure this man’s illness?”They all said, “The medicine is hard to obtain.” “What kind of medicine does he need? What is the name of this medicine?” the doctors said to the king, “This medicine needs to be taken with the flesh of someone free of the Five Poisons.”
[The kind asked], “What are the Five Poisons?” “[Being free of the Five Poisons] means first, his mind must be free of greed.” “Then he is without the first poison. Second, his mind must be free of anger. Then he is without the second poison. Third, his mind must be free of ignorance. Fourth, his mind must be free of jealously. Fifth, his mind must be free of cruelty. If there is someone who is free of these five poisons, we can combine his flesh with the medicine. Then we will have a way to treat him.”
The king thought about it. Being free of these five things is not easy at all. Everyone more or less feels to some extent. Indeed, the catalyst for this medicine. He thought to himself, “In my entire life, I have believed in the Buddha-Dharma. And accepted the teachings, so I have not give rise to any of these. He continue to contemplate this. “Indeed, every day I think about how to care for and love my people. I love them like my own children. I am not greedy for anything from them. I have never lost my temper with them or gotten angry at them. My mind has always been clear so I have never acted out of ignorance. I have also never felt jealous of anyone, not to mention treat anyone cruelly. When I think about it, I am the best catalyst for this medicine.”
After thinking it over, he made an announcement to the doctors, “You see, obtaining the catalyst is very simple. Cut off some flesh from my body and use it as the catalyst. “Then this person will be saved.” Hearing this, they all said, “We cannot! Your majesty, you are like a kind father to your people. You are also their guiding teacher. We have all received your teachings and are cherished by you, so we feel very blessed. How can we cause harm to your body?
The king replied, “I am only giving just a small bit of flesh, I can save a person’s life. How could I not do this?Moreover, I practice the Buddha-Dharma. I want to walk the Bodhisattva-path, and I vowed to deliver countless sentient beings. when I see someone who is suffering, how can I not help him?”
He insisted in this way. So, they cut off some of his flesh and used it as the catalyst. Indeed, after the patient took the medicine, he gradually recovered. After he had totally recovered, he repaid th eking by being loyal to him and staying by his side to serve him.
This is a parable and a teaching about causes and conditions. After listening to the Dharma, the king faithfully accepted and practiced it. Walking the Bodhisattva-path requires [cultivating] the Four Infinite Minds, loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, and putting them into practice.
Those whom the Buddha worried most about were the “20” and “30” sons. They symbolize second Vehicle, Solitary Realizers, and the third Vehicle, the Hearers. If people hear the Buddha-Dharma but do not develop the heart of a Bodhisattva, they have not truly eliminated their afflictions. The Dharma of wisdom has not deeply penetrated their mind. So, going the door of the burning house is difficult because they still have many afflictions; thus they are burned by the flames. If we cannot exit the door of our afflictions, how can we enter the Dharma-door of wisdom? This was the previous sutra passage, “[The elder] further reflected. This house has only one door. Moreover, it is narrow and small.”
“He further reflected. This house has only one door. Moreover, it is narrow and small. My sons are young and immature and have no understanding. They are attached to the place where they play. So, they may fall and be burned in the fire.”
For sentient beings who have serious afflictions, the door is small and their afflictions great. Because of all those afflictions, there is no way they can go out that door. This is because these “sons are young and immature”, so although they hear the Dharma, they still have tremendous attachments. In the world today, many believe in the Buddha. These people also listen to the Dharma. Although they are willing to form aspirations, they cannot let go of their attachments. There are many people like this.
I often hear, “The economy has been bad, so he has been working very hard. Now, they are starting to develop a new product. It is very tough.” I would say, “That is very difficult. His company is so large. He clearly knows that the world economy is in a depression. Why does he choose to keep working and put so much stress on himself?” “Aiya”, the wife would sigh, “What can he do? What can I do?” This is how the wives of these entrepreneurs feel. Indeed, this is what people are like.
They have heard the Dharma, but they cannot control themselves. They want to come up with something more advanced than everyone else. Living this way is indeed very tiring. The door of the burning house, for people like this, is really to small. That is because of their greed: their desires are endless. Even though they have heard the Dharma, they still cannot let go of their desires and afflictions. Immersed in the Three Realms, the desire, form and formless realms, once a desire arises in their mind, they cannot let it go; this is very painful.
So, in the previous sutra text, the Buddha said, “I must tell them of these fearful matters. This house is already in flames, and this is the time for them to quickly leave so they will not burned in the fire.”
Although the Buddha used various methods, these children were so young and immature. They just kept laying in their home, not knowing they were in the fire. They thought the fire was something to play with. Therefore, the Buddha had to tell everyone, “You should be afraid: have world is suffering”. Not only is there suffering, these are many disasters. Impermanence and disasters may strike at any time. So, there are three major and three minor calamities, which continue to press in closer. This is why the Buddha began calling on us. From outside the burning house, He calls to us “You are in danger! Come out right now! This house is already on fire. Everyone must come out”.
The following passage from the sutra states, “This is the time for them to quickly leave, so they will not be burned in the fire”. They must quickly get out of there so they will not get burned. But the children inside the burning house are deluded and linger there. They have lost their sense of reason, continuing to linger in this burning house. They crave pleasure, fame, wealth and so on, so they do not seek to escape.
“All the sons were in the burning house. They were deluded and lingering there, not seeking seek to escape. The elder, that kind father, saw that in his sons’ stubbornness they did not seek to leave. How could he possibly sit there and watch? He contemplated how he could save them.”
Similarly, not long ago, there was a house on fire in the north. One man had already escaped, but thought about what he had left inside. So, he ran back in to get those things. In the end, before he even reached them, he was suffocated by the smoke. He passed out and was burned to death. We actually see this in our modern day society. Clearly, the house is on fire. Disregarding his life, this man ran back inside. As a result, he died, the things were gone and the house burned down. People like this are everywhere nowadays.
This analogy about the burning house and people remaining deluded and lost in it truly applies to many people.
The fire is arising from all four sides, so they should quickly escape. The elder, urgently aware of this, yelled at them to quickly leave so they would not be burned by the fire. But sentient beings do not hear him and are unaware of the fire, so they do not consider escaping.This was what the elder worried about.
The elder is very compassionate, the way a father feels toward his children. If the children were so foolish that they did not want to escape, their father could not sit calmly and watch. So, he kept contemplating different ways to quickly get his children out of there. Because the fire was burning on all sides, if they did not quickly run out, they would be in great danger. The elder, “urgently aware of this, yelled at them, Hurry, get out of there now!”
“Don’t get burned by the fire.” He continued to call out to them and remind them. But sentient beings did not hear, were unaware and unknowing. They had not yet thought about leaving quickly. They had not even considered leaving. They remained attached, lingering within the burning house.
“The sons ran about as they played.” They were running all over the place. Their father was calling to them, yelling at them. But they simply looked at him.
The sons ran about as they played and merely looked at their father: This is an analogy for sentient beings who cling to cyclic existence and transmigration in the Three Realms. As for what the Buddha said, they are completely unaware of it.
As the Buddha expounded the Dharma, sentient beings listened. But all they did was listen. They saw how wonderful the Buddha-Dharma was, yet their hearts remained unmoved. They did not think about taking it in. They were like stubborn, immature children.
So, “Sentient beings cling to cyclic existence and transmigration in the Three Realms”. They are willing to remain transmigrating in the Three Realms. They are willing to be afflicted, to have greed, anger and ignorance, arrogance and doubt. They doubted the Buddha-Dharma, so they transmigrated in the Three Realms again.
Clearly, they have heard the Buddha-Dharma. Yet they refuse to practice accordingly. The Buddha had spoken to them. This is what sentient beings are like. This is like the world we live in, what the Buddha called the evil world of Five Turbidities. The turbidity is very severe. This is because of our view and understanding, our afflictions and the kinds of interactions we have each other, as well as how our life is impermanent and painfully sort. But within this very short amount of time, we can create so much karma. Everything we have accumulated has contributed to forming this evil world of Five Turbidities.
Even at this time, people do not try to escape, do not accept the Buddha Dharma and do not transcend afflictions to leave this burning house. They continue to play in there without any thought of leaving. This is very worrying and very frightening.
The Great Enlightened One, for the sake of deluded sentient beings, was shocked and afraid. Think about this, shouldn’t we promptly seize the moment to accept the Dharma and practice it? By saving ourselves and saving others, we can bring peace to the world. This has to start with each one of us. We must start with ourselves. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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