RABE, Jerick R.

BACOM 1A

ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF THE SELF

1. According to the parable, what is the true meaning of human existence?

From the parable in the sermon of Shakyamuni Buddha, it was showed that the
traveler (representing us, humans) travels by himself alone in a night of autumn in a vast
wilderness. This representation of autumn dusk by Buddha, shows the solitary life of
human, as it goes on its journey in life. The self, according to Shakyamuni Buddha is a
continuous journey that is always tailed by death. As the tiger represents death that we
have been running from, the tree shows the things we cling on to, no matter how much
climb up to that tree we are still in reach of death. Life continues for long years and it was
represented by the vine which is long and will allow you to escape death for a while, but
down below awaits an endless, bottomless sea of suffering along with the dragons of our
hearts that is always present to devour us. These dragons, as explained by lifepurpose.info,
are the “poisonous passion of our hearts” which represents the greed, hatred, and
ignorance. Buddha also used the gnawing of the vine as the continuous depletion of our
days (the vine), it is because of the white and black mice that is taking turns as day and
night. Buddha emphasizes the fact that we, as the traveler, ignores all the reality of death by
the five drops of sweet honey that satisfies our hunger and desires. To sum up,
Shakyamuni Buddha’s parable tells us that the reality of human existence is being alone
and facing death, but we do not always see it because we are satisfied by the sweet desires
of our bodies that is served to us.

2. What is Buddha's teaching on human existence?

According to Buddha, human life has a condition. He then stated, “Alone we are
born, and alone we die. Alone we come, and alone we depart.” It is also linked to his
teachings about the law of cause and effect which says that in every cause is followed by a
condition to create an effect. Just like the human existence, it is a cause that is followed by
this certain condition. The parable wants to show the human existence as a life with an
inescapable fate, it is either we fall on the life with endless suffering and impure passions of
heart, or we can just surrender ourselves to the fangs of death. Either way, we will still fall in
one of this two.

References: http://www.lifespurpose.info/buddha/realityofmankind/realityofmankind01.html