Tales from the Lotus Sutra: 
Parable of the Three Carts and the Burning House

Introduction	
For the first installment in this series of articles, we will discuss the 
seven parables contained in the Lotus Sutra.  These parables, 
comparable to such famous tales as Aesop's Fables and old Japanese 
legends, are not difficult concepts of philosophy, but easy to 
understand stories.  These tales were written in such a manner that 
when carefully read, anyone can comprehend the basic principles of 
the Buddha's powers and the Gohonzon.
When we hear the words "Lotus Sutra" we often think of something 
that is difficult to understand.  However, it is surprising to hear that 
there are parables included in the Lotus Sutra.
The Buddha is really amazing.  He can take something as complex as 
the Lotus Sutra and teach the principles of Buddhism so that anyone, 
from a school age child to older men and women, can easily 
comprehend.
The Parable of the Three Carts and the Burning House is the tale we 
will discuss in this article.  In the Lotus Sutra, there are twenty eight 
hon or chapters.  The first chapter of the Lotus Sutra is the Jo-hon 
(the "Introductory" or "Prologue" chapter) and the second chapter is 
the Hoben-pon (the "Means" chapter) which we all recite daily in 
morning and evening Gongyo.  The third chapter is the Hiyu-hon (the 
"Parables" chapter).  The Parable of the Three Carts and the Burning 
House is explained in the Hiyu chapter.
In ancient India, there was once a very wealthy old man.  He lived in 
a big mansion filled with treasures and riches, and surrounded by 
rice paddies and fields.  However, this big house where the rich man 
lived had only one small entrance with one small door.
One day, the old man discovers that his large mansion is ablaze and 
cries out, "Fire!"  The house was surrounded by flames and was 
already burning out of control.  There was nothing the old man or 
anyone else could do to put it out.  
The mansion was a very large old house.  Inside and around the 
house, there lived many types of animals, such as snakes, mice, bats 
and many others.  When these animals discovered the house was 
aflame, they were startled and all ran away in an uproar, screaming 
in loud terrifying voices.
However, inside the house, the old man's children were playing so 
intently that they didn't even notice that such a horrible fire was 
blazing all around them.  The old man cried out to the children as 
loudly as he could, "Hurry up! Get out of there! It's dangerous in 
there!"  But the children were so absorbed in their play, they couldn't 
hear him and naturally, wouldn't come out of the house.  The old 
man realized that if he didn't do something soon, the only door to 
and out of the mansion would be quickly covered in flames, and then 
the children would not be able to escape and would die in the fire.  
Saying, "I've got a great idea!" and he called out to the children, "Hey, 
children! In front of the doorway are the three carts you've been 
wanting!  One pulled by a sheep, one pulled by a deer and the other 
pulled by a cow!"
As soon as the children heard this, they stopped their playing and 
exclaimed, "Let's go and see!  Let's go and see!"  They hurriedly 
scrambled out of the house, each child trying to beat the other out of 
the door as fast as they could.
Outside the doorway, they all looked around and asked, "But, where 
is the cart pulled by a sheep?  Where is the cart pulled by a cow?  
Where is the cart pulled by a deer?"  However, there wasn't any cart 
pulled by a sheep, a deer or a cow to be seen.  In their place, was an 
amazingly beautiful large cart drawn by a great white ox.
At this point in the parable, Shakyamuni Buddha then taught that 
"the Threefold World1 is not easy, it is more like the burning house."  
This signifies that the world in which we live is not one where one 
can sincerely feel at ease.  The world we reside in is like being in a 
burning house enveloped in a great pyre.
That is to say, the great old house becoming entrenched in flame 
signifies that our lives and daily way of life are always surrounded 
in uneasiness and danger.  The children absorbed in play represent 
the people who do not embrace the true teachings of the Buddha that 
have actually been confronted with anxiety and peril.
It is surely the old man who cries out, "Come on outside! I have the 
three types of carts you've been wanting out here!" who represents 
the Buddha that saves all mankind.  
The children who hear the summoning of the Buddha, leave the old 
burning house out of a desire for the cart pulled by a sheep who 
should have died in the fire, are instead saved by the Buddha.
However, when the children actually come out of the house, there are 
no carts pulled by sheep, deer or cows anywhere to be seen.  Instead, 
there is a grand cart drawn by a great white ox which is more 
magnificent than they could have ever imagined.
The cart pulled by the sheep, the cart pulled by the deer and the cart 
pulled by the cow are all, respectively, the teachings of the three 
higher vehicles of learning, absorption and Bodhisattva which are not 
the purpose of faith.  The large cart drawn by a great white ox is the 
attainment of the greatest life condition of Buddhahood which the 
Buddha teaches, is instead the true objective of faith.
The old man who is the Buddha, is actually lying to the children 
when he says, "Children, come out of the burning house.  I have for 
you out here, three types of carts, pulled by a sheep and other 
animals."  Even if they came outside, there were no such carts.  
However, in the place of these carts,  there was an even more 
magnificent one.  This sort of lie that the old man told, was a means 
to entice the children out of the burning house.  In Buddhist 
terminology, this "means" is called Hoben.  We have all probably at 
some point heard of someone telling us that a lie is also a sort of 
means to reach an end.
The Buddha uses many varied Hoben or "means" to point lost people 
such as ourselves in the proper direction and save us.
The method that efficiently saves us from suffering is called Hoben.  
A young child then might think that since the Buddha told a lie to 
accomplish a means, then he or she can also tell a lie to their mother 
or father to get them to give them some spending money.  We might 
also think the same thing in regards to other situations in daily life.  
However, that is not the case.  This would simply make us into plain 
liars.   
Now, we if consider the above in regard to our own faith in 
Buddhism, the children who were so absorbed in play that they 
didn't even realize the danger of  being inside a burning house, could 
be compared to ourselves before we embraced the correct faith and 
practice of Nichiren Shoshu.  The old man who used the means of 
Hoben to entice us out of the burning house, is the True Buddha of 
Mappo, Nichiren Daishonin.  The Daishonin did not give us a cart 
pulled by a sheep or a cow, but instead created for us the true 
teachings and practice of Buddhism of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo Ñ the 
grand cart drawn by the great white ox.
So, if someone encourages us to chant Daimoku to the Gohonzon, we 
should not feel resentment.  There may be people like this in our 
circle of fellow believers that causes us to feel a bit annoyed.  
However, people like these are really wonderful human beings that 
show us the grand cart drawn by the great white ox which is the 
highest level of the Buddhism.
With that, let us conclude this article.  You have probably come to 
really understand the meaning behind the famous tale of The 
Parable of the Three Carts and the Burning House.  Watch for our 
next issue which will feature The Parable of the Wealthy Man and 
His Poor Son.
Translated by Eugenio Tarabini
October 6, 1994.
Footnote:
1 The Threefold World:  The worlds of desire, form and the world of 
formlessness.  These are the worlds inhabited by unenlightened 
beings who transmigrate within the six lower paths of Hell, Hunger, 
Animality, Anger, Tranquillity and Rapture.

©1995 Nichiren Shoshu Monthly. All rights reserved