parable of the three kinds of medicinal herbs and two kinds of trees [三草二木の譬] ( sansō-nimoku-no-tatoe): Also, parable of the medicinal herbs. One of the seven parables in the Lotus Sutra. Shakyamuni relates this parable to Mahākāshyapa and others in the “Parable of the Medicinal Herbs” (fifth) chapter to reiterate his teaching in the previous three chapters (“Expedient Means,” “Simile and Parable,” and “Belief and Understanding”) that the Buddha’s true purpose is the revelation of the one vehicle of Buddhahood, but that, because of the differences in people’s capacity, he first expounds the three vehicles and the five vehicles as provisional teachings. In the parable, a great cloud envelops the world and sends down life-giving rain equally upon all the grasses, flowers, trees, and medicinal herbs. Though the rain is the same, the plants, trees, and medicinal herbs absorb the moisture differently and grow to varying heights according to their individual natures. Similarly, the Buddha impartially expounds only the one vehicle of Buddhahood for all people, but they understand and benefit from it differently according to their respective capacities.
The three kinds of medicinal herbs appearing in the parable are inferior medicinal herbs, intermediate medicinal herbs, and superior medicinal herbs; the two kinds of trees are small trees and big trees. Based on the description in the text, T’ien-t’ai (538–597), in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, interprets the inferior medicinal herbs as ordinary people and heavenly beings, the intermediate medicinal herbs as persons of the two vehicles (voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones), and the superior medicinal herbs, small trees, and big trees as bodhisattvas. Among these, T’ien-t’ai says, the superior medicinal herbs represent bodhisattvas of the Tripitaka teaching, the small trees indicate bodhisattvas of the connecting teaching, and the big trees, bodhisattvas of the specific teaching.
FAQs
What is the parable of the medicinal herbs? ›
In Chapter Five's Parable of the Medicinal Herbs, or the Parable of the Rain of the Dharma, the Buddha compares himself to a rain cloud that softly blankets the whole earth and the dharma to the rain that nourishes all beings and things equally.
What's the most well known Buddhist parable? ›Parable of the Poisoned Arrow.
What does the parable of the burning house symbolize? ›Shakyamuni compares the burning house in the parable to the threefold world, and the flames to the sufferings of birth and death. The rich man is the Buddha, who appears in this troubled world to save the people, the children are all living beings, and the games in which they are so absorbed are worldly pleasures.
What do the three animal carts illustrate in the parable of the burning house? ›The parable is of course an illustration of the world (a house on fire), the clueless children being humanity and the three carts being examples of how the Buddha offers many neat and clever ways to reach enlightenment but that in the end they all lead to one big common, and much better path, the path to Nirvana.
What are the 3 sacred herbs? ›Cedar, sage, sweetgrass and tobacco are sacred to Indigenous peoples across North America. These herbs are used to treat many illnesses and are crucial in many ceremonies.
What plants did God give us for medicine? ›In addition, God gives us the use of plants and herbs for curative care, both physical (2 Kings 20:7; Psalm 51:7) and emotional (Psalm 45:8; Genesis 43:11). Reflect on how people have used plants, seeds and herbs. What are the consequences of such use?
What is the parable of the Buddhist? ›The parable of the second arrow is a Buddhist parable about dealing with suffering more skillfully. The Buddhists say that any time we suffer misfortune, two arrows fly our way. Being struck by an arrow is painful. Being struck by a second arrow is even more painful.
How many Buddhist parables are there? ›seven parables | Dictionary of Buddhism | Nichiren Buddhism Library.
What is the most famous Buddhist story? ›A famous parable of Buddhism is called The Parable of the Mustard Seed. It is found in the foundational texts of Theravada Buddhism. It revolves around a woman named Kisa Gotami, who lived during the time of Buddha's life when he had already achieved nirvana and was traveling to impart his teachings upon others.
What is the Buddhist parable of the burning house? ›The Burning House is a retelling of the four noble truths. There is suffering in life, there is a cause, there is an end, and yet there is a way out if we walk through the door ourselves. At the heart of this parable is the Buddha telling us, just as he does in the third noble truth, that there is an end to suffering.
What is Verses Upon the Burning of Our House about short summary? ›
“Verses upon the Burning of our House” Speaker
This is a woman who clearly loved her home and feels sorrow at its loss, but also seems to feel a bit guilty about that sorrow. As a devoted Puritan, she believes she must trust in God's will, and thus accept the loss of her home with grace.
Internal conflict Fire is also thought to represent inner turmoil in your dreams. So, dreaming about your own house going up in flames can mean that you're wrestling with conflicting feelings, thoughts, or desires. Something in your life might have shaken up your beliefs and you're struggling with how to deal with it.
What is the parable of the farmer and the barns? ›Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops? ' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
What is the message of the Burning House? ›The Burning House represents the world burning with the fires of old age, sickness and death. The teachings of the Buddha are like the father getting the boys to leave their pleasures for a greater pleasure, Nirvana.
What is the moral or spiritual lesson you take away from the parable of the weeds amongst the wheat? ›The parable had a clear message for those groups. This is not the time to force God's hand. To pull out the weeds now, to act against what you see as evil, will only cause more damage, more hurt, more pain. There is a need for patience, to trust in God's timing that justice will be done.
What herbs in the Bible are medicine? ›Only five species are mentioned directly as medicinal plants in the Bible: Fig (Ficus carica), Nard (Nardostachys jatamansi), Hyssop (Origanum syriacum), balm of Gilead (Commiphora gileadensis) and Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum).
What are the dirty dozen medicinal herbs? ›The “very likely hazardous” supplements on the list include comfrey, androstenedione, chaparral, germander, and kava. Supplements in the “likely hazardous” category include bitter orange, organ/glandular extracts, lobelia, pennyroyal oil, skullcap, and yohimbe.
What are the 5 sacred herbs? ›- Cannabis in Ayurveda. Ayurveda, a sub-script of Atharvaveda, recognises cannabis plant as one of the five sacred plants in the Vedas. ...
- Tulasi. ...
- Sandalwood. ...
- Jasmine. ...
- Neem.
What did Jesus do with his gold, frankincense and myrrh - surely very valuable gifts that would have set him up for life?