Difference between revisions of "Buddhist Story: Man Wounded by an Arrow"
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It is as if a man had been wounded by an arrow thickly smeared with poison, and his friends and kinsmen were to get a surgeon to heal him, and he were to say, I will not have this arrow pulled out until I know by what man I was wounded, whether he is of the warrior [[caste]], or a [[brahmin]], or of the agricultural, or the lowest [[caste]]. Or if he were to say, I will not have this arrow pulled out until I know of what name of family the man is -- or whether he is tall, or short or of middle height ... Before [[knowing]] all this, the man would [[die]]. | It is as if a man had been wounded by an arrow thickly smeared with poison, and his friends and kinsmen were to get a surgeon to heal him, and he were to say, I will not have this arrow pulled out until I know by what man I was wounded, whether he is of the warrior [[caste]], or a [[brahmin]], or of the agricultural, or the lowest [[caste]]. Or if he were to say, I will not have this arrow pulled out until I know of what name of family the man is -- or whether he is tall, or short or of middle height ... Before [[knowing]] all this, the man would [[die]]. | ||
| − | Similarly, it is not on the [[view]] that the [[world]] is [[eternal]], that it is finite, that [[body]] and [[soul]] are distinct, or that the [[Buddha]] [[exists]] after [[death]] that a [[religious]] [[life]] depends. Whether these [[views]] or their opposite are held, there is still [[rebirth]], there is [[old age]], there is [[death]], and [[grief]], [[lamentation]], [[suffering]], [[sorrow]], and | + | Similarly, it is not on the [[view]] that the [[world]] is [[eternal]], that it is finite, that [[body]] and [[soul]] are distinct, or that the [[Buddha]] [[exists]] after [[death]] that a [[religious]] [[life]] depends. Whether these [[views]] or their opposite are held, there is still [[rebirth]], there is [[old age]], there is [[death]], and [[grief]], [[lamentation]], [[suffering]], [[sorrow]], and despair.... I have not spoken to these [[views]] because they do not conduce to an absence of [[passion]], to [[tranquility]], and [[Nirvana]]. And what have I explained? [[Suffering]] have I explained, the [[cause of suffering]], the destruction of [[suffering]], and the [[path]] that leads to the destruction of [[suffering]] have I explained. For this is useful." |
Form The Seeker's Glossary of [[Buddhism]], edited by Minh Thanh and P.D. Leigh | Form The Seeker's Glossary of [[Buddhism]], edited by Minh Thanh and P.D. Leigh | ||
Latest revision as of 11:08, 12 September 2013
- Man Wounded by an Arrow
"Parable of the arrow smeared thickly with poison:
It is as if a man had been wounded by an arrow thickly smeared with poison, and his friends and kinsmen were to get a surgeon to heal him, and he were to say, I will not have this arrow pulled out until I know by what man I was wounded, whether he is of the warrior caste, or a brahmin, or of the agricultural, or the lowest caste. Or if he were to say, I will not have this arrow pulled out until I know of what name of family the man is -- or whether he is tall, or short or of middle height ... Before knowing all this, the man would die.
Similarly, it is not on the view that the world is eternal, that it is finite, that body and soul are distinct, or that the Buddha exists after death that a religious life depends. Whether these views or their opposite are held, there is still rebirth, there is old age, there is death, and grief, lamentation, suffering, sorrow, and despair.... I have not spoken to these views because they do not conduce to an absence of passion, to tranquility, and Nirvana. And what have I explained? Suffering have I explained, the cause of suffering, the destruction of suffering, and the path that leads to the destruction of suffering have I explained. For this is useful."
Form The Seeker's Glossary of Buddhism, edited by Minh Thanh and P.D. Leigh
