A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s6.t4.13

v2.c19.s6.t4.13

In a ruined old house lives a father with his children. Suddenly the house is on fire. The father is troubled about his children. It is true that he is strong, and could take the little ones in his arms and escape from the house with them. But the house has only *one* door. The children, unconscious of the danger, run about in merry play, and do not pay heed to his cry of warning. It is to be feared that he and his children will all perish in the fire. Then a good plan occurs to him. Children love playthings. He calls out to them that he has all sorts of beautiful toys for them, little bullock-carts, little goat-carts, little antelope-carts, in front of the house. No sooner do the children hear these words, than they all rush out of the door and are saved. Now they ask their father for the promised little carts of three kinds. However, the father is a rich man, and gives them splendid, beautifully decorated bullock-carts instead. The children are merry and happy. Who will accuse the father of deception, because he promised the children three kinds of inferior carts, and only gave them the carts of the one, most splendid kind? Even so does the Buddha deal with men: by the promise of the three "vehicles" he lures them away from the burning, ruined house of this world, he rescues them, and gives them the one "vehicle," the most precious of all, the "Buddha vehicle."[^1)