The Parable Of The Burning House Analysis

There is a fundamental concept in Mahayana Buddhism, known as upaya or “skillful means”, which is exemplified in “The Parable of the Burning House”. Skillful means could be considered as the methods or strategies the Buddha uses to lead others to enlightenment. This concept can be considered unconventional because it doesn’t necessarily have to agree to Buddhist doctrines, however the purpose behind using skillful means must be derived from wisdom and compassion because it originates from Buddha’s compassionate project.
The parable illustrates the concept of skillful means by telling the story of a wealthy man and his three young boys. The rich father and his sons lived in a large mansion equipped with only one door, and one day a large fire grew rampant through their house and luckily the father was aware and able to escape. Once safe, the father tries to scream for the boys that there is immediate danger and they must get out of the house to avoid being engulfed by the suffering of the burns, however his three sons, being …show more content…
Despite honesty being a valued virtue in Buddhism, the father was dishonest to his children and told them to come outside as there were their most desirable carts awaiting them there. Once they did come out though, there were the three best carts, ox-carts, however even if they weren’t there, the key thing to take away is that the father saved the children from suffering. Although the father lied to their children, breaking the virtue, it was necessary for him to do so. He lied out of wisdom because he knew that telling his children the lie would result in them quickly and excitedly evacuating the mansion, and he lied out of compassion because his love for his children surpassed the consequences of breaking the virtue. This clearly depicts the idea that skillful means are situational and sometimes one act that worked in one situation can fail in