In college, I took a world religions course and learned so many great things about christianity, islam, judaism, hinduism, and buddhism. There are a few things that I learned that I will never forget (thank you professor!)..... This is one of them:
The Buddha was speaking to a group of monks. He said, “Monks, suppose that this great earth were totally covered with water and a man were to toss a yoke with a single hole into the water. A wind from the West would push it East; a wind from the East would push it West; a wind from the North would push it South; a wind from the South would push it North. And suppose a blind sea turtle were there. It would come to the surface only once every 100 years. Now what do you suppose the chances would be that a blind turtle, coming once to the surface every 100 years, would stick his neck into the yoke with a single hole?”
And the monks answered, “It would be very unusual, Sir, that a blind turtle coming to the surface once every hundred years would stick his neck into the yoke.”
And the Buddha replied, “And just so, it is very, very rare that one attains the human state.”
That is the example the Buddha gave of how rare the chances are and how precious it is to be born as a human being. If this is so—and even if it isn’t—I ask myself this question: Am I taking care to live my life in a way that honors this precious human birth and makes the best use of it?
The Buddha was speaking to a group of monks. He said, “Monks, suppose that this great earth were totally covered with water and a man were to toss a yoke with a single hole into the water. A wind from the West would push it East; a wind from the East would push it West; a wind from the North would push it South; a wind from the South would push it North. And suppose a blind sea turtle were there. It would come to the surface only once every 100 years. Now what do you suppose the chances would be that a blind turtle, coming once to the surface every 100 years, would stick his neck into the yoke with a single hole?”
And the monks answered, “It would be very unusual, Sir, that a blind turtle coming to the surface once every hundred years would stick his neck into the yoke.”
And the Buddha replied, “And just so, it is very, very rare that one attains the human state.”
That is the example the Buddha gave of how rare the chances are and how precious it is to be born as a human being. If this is so—and even if it isn’t—I ask myself this question: Am I taking care to live my life in a way that honors this precious human birth and makes the best use of it?
