【靜思妙蓮華】20150903 - 悲愍眾生火宅救子 - 第645集 Rescuing Children in the Burning House

20150903《靜思妙蓮華》悲愍眾生火宅救子(第645集)
（法華經•譬喻品第三）

⊙「真如本性第一義空，諸法相空是名智慧，佛地果德悲愍眾生，純一滿淨梵行清白。」
⊙「是時宅主，在門外立，聞有人言，汝諸子等，先因遊戲，來入此宅。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙「稚小無知，歡娛樂著。長者聞已，驚入火宅，方宜救濟，令無燒害。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙佛心悲愍，不忍見眾生愚昧，喻稚小無知，惑業受苦。為令無燒害，喻教以出世善根，令勿為煩惱火之所燒害。
⊙稚小無知：謂昔結緣淺，大善未著，名為稚小無知。退失大心，流轉三界，無明所覆，名為稚小無知。
⊙歡娛樂著：即前於火宅內，樂著嬉戲等。於此三界苦果，放逸六情，名為歡娛。貪著諸境，名為樂著。
⊙長者聞已，驚入火宅：為諸眾生，起大悲心，出真兆聖，降跡塵寰也。長者聞已者，佛不忍眾生苦；驚入火宅者，緣起大悲心也。救苦悲生名驚，隨順生死名入火宅。
⊙方宜救濟，令無燒害：「方宜」者，正以機宜擬施教大乘。「告喻」即具告諸子。「說眾患難」下，正明所燒重重疊疊。廣列二使眾生，溺沒三界，眾苦蔓延，相續不絕也。
⊙由此入故，後令與子同時出，循環赴救，不顧火難，及時隨宜救濟。
⊙由一乘而說三乘，令諸子得出火宅，無有燒害之難；亦喻眾生本具出世善根，令無為煩惱火之所燒害。

【證嚴上人開示】
「真如本性第一義空，諸法相空是名智慧，佛地果德悲愍眾生，純一滿淨梵行清白。」

真如本性第一義空
諸法相空是名智慧
佛地果德悲愍眾生
純一滿淨梵行清白

修行，我們就要很用心，反觀自照我們自己的真如本性。偏偏眾生，我們的真如本性，我們就是用了很多的無明，將它遮蓋起來，所以這個真如本性就無法現前。凡夫容易受這個色塵、聲塵，影響我們的心思，聽到人家對我們，說到我們不喜歡聽的話，聽到有人，對我們不滿意的事情，我們聽了，心就很難過。

起心，「為什麼你這樣來批評我？」「為什麼我這樣做，你還不滿意？」煩惱就生出來，這是著在聲塵。聽來的聲音，很容易讓我們衝動，那個無明的惑就起，容易去造業。

所以我們會常常說，身、口、意，我們說話要很小心。所以我們修行，要如何修得能夠說好話？修得如何善解聽話？這種因聲著相，這就是凡夫的煩惱，這就是愚癡的人。假使我們若懂得「諸法相空」，不只是聽的聲塵，我們懂得善解，同時還要感恩，這叫做智慧的人。

「佛地果德悲愍眾生」。我們要回歸，回歸我們真如的本性來，做好人、行好事，像這樣，事事利益眾生；這就是「佛地」，我們有佛心，心中有佛。佛陀一直一直就是這樣說過，眾生人人本具佛性。哪怕你是，短暫佛性浮上來，利益人群，那個瞬間所做的，也是佛，那個佛心現前。只是眾生我們比較可惜的，就是，這個善念現前的時間，很短暫，很快受無明又再掩沒了，所以我們會浮浮沉沉在苦海中。所以我們應該，好好將我們這分佛心，時時在我們的心裡，我們悲愍眾生。佛的心地就是慈悲，所以我們要悲愍眾生。

像佛陀，他已經是安然自在，能夠處住第一義空的座位，「諸法空為座」，佛陀他的心靈，永遠是住在第一義空，這種真如本性之中。但是為了「悲愍眾生」，所以他要不斷來人間，將法這樣讓人人能接受，不只是這樣，法說了之後被人接受，他還要不斷回歸娑婆來度眾生，將這個道理再反覆，現相來聽法、現相來說法，所以現相來自度，現相來度人。所以才是一直就說，佛陀沒有離開娑婆，所以稱佛是「四生慈父」，永遠在人間。

所以說「純一滿淨」。已經將這個人間很複雜，人間很多的煩惱、無明、惑等等，全都去除，回歸純一清淨真如本性來，已經是圓滿了，「大圓鏡智」。借人間的聲塵、色相，我們來修行，在這裡面不受它污染到，已到達「純一滿淨」的程度。

所以「梵行清白」。梵行就是清淨行。我們在芸芸眾生中，藉著眾生世間的「苦」、「集」，我們來修行。這用感恩心，付出無所求還要感恩，不斷去付出。可以看到多少，這些人間菩薩用心投入，不怕骯髒、不怕辛苦等等在付出。走入人群中雖然是髒，但是我們脫下了，我們的這一身污塵的衣服，我們洗乾淨後，換上了乾淨的衣服，還是同樣又是清淨。同樣的意思，這念心不受環境將我們污染，這叫做梵行。我們就是清淨這樣付出，這種的清白梵行。

各位，學佛，我們很重要的，那就是需要我們這念心。我們在說的這些法，人間法，人間多苦，多苦啊！真的是很苦。若不知苦，還是在那個地方，沉戀、迷戀，無法離開火宅。所以要知苦，才能夠知道我們要修行。

所以，前面的(經)文就說，「是時宅主，在門外立，聞有人言，汝諸子等，先因遊戲，來入此宅。」

是時宅主
在門外立
聞有人言
汝諸子等
先因遊戲
來入此宅
《法華經譬喻品第三》

在這個火宅中，這個宅主，這間房子的主人，已經離開這間房子了。一些不知苦、不懂是非的孩子還在裡面，還是在那個地方在遊戲，還不懂得要出來。

「聞有人言」，那就是心心掛念，這個心聲，知道這些孩子還是在那裡面。這種「見聞」，那就是悲心見聞。好像聽到，好像看到，這分瞭解，完全很瞭解這個火宅中，那個災難，已經四面隱伏著，蠢蠢欲動，一直將這個災難，頻頻一直逼近了。這讓這位宅主，那就是三界導師，四生慈父──釋迦牟尼佛他不忍心了，也知道。

接著這段(經)文說，「稚小無知，歡娛樂著。長者聞已，驚入火宅，方宜救濟，令無燒害。」

稚小無知
歡娛樂著
長者聞已
驚入火宅
方宜救濟
令無燒害
《法華經譬喻品第三》

本來這位長者，已經出去在火宅的外面了，因為一念心，就是不忍心，所以又入火宅來。那就是譬喻佛陀，「佛心悲愍，不忍見眾生愚昧」。

佛心悲愍
不忍見眾生愚昧
喻稚小無知
惑業受苦
為令無燒害
喻教以出世善根
令勿為煩惱火
之所燒害

這是佛陀的悲心。要不然，佛陀就已經離開了，已經取大涅槃，完全寂滅了，應該娑婆世界，就與他一點都沒有關係。不過就是悲心，不忍心眾生這麼愚昧，雖然他已經離開三界，卻是又再回過頭來，來入這個三界來，為一大事因緣再入娑婆。

所以譬喻，因為這些眾生的愚昧，就譬喻「稚小無知」，很幼稚的孩子。所以有這個「惑業受苦」，還是一樣起惑造業，在這個娑婆世界裡，不懂得要出(離)。所以佛，佛陀為了要，使令這些愚昧的眾生，能夠趕緊覺悟人生的苦難，所以「教以出世」，要如何來教他能夠離開火宅？出世，成長善根？這就要用心。人若無善根，善根若沒出來，他還是沒辦法離開這個火宅，所以必定要循循善誘教育，不斷要來人間，不斷要來教導眾生，這樣才能夠使那些眾生，不受這煩惱的火所燒。

再說「稚小無知」。就是譬喻過去沒結到緣，或者是結緣很淺。

稚小無知：
謂昔結緣淺
大善未著
名為稚小無知
退失大心
流轉三界
無明所覆
名為稚小無知

意思就是說，過去生中沒有接觸到法，或者是接觸到，那個緣很淺，今生來世就是同樣這樣，因為福緣很淺、慧根很淺，所以「大善未著」，這個大的善，福、慧，那就是很淺薄。像這樣的人，這都是還在火宅裡面，還是同樣在那裡耽戀，還未醒的人，這種的人叫做「稚小無知」。過去既然沒那個因緣接觸，現在更無法接受大法，這種的人，這就是「稚小無知」。

雖然見賢，想要和他一起，但是就是沒辦法，沒辦法持恆久的心，所以他就又再流轉在三界，這個真如本性，又被煩惱將它覆蓋。雖然有一點點善，但是很淺；雖然既然啟發愛心，但是很快退失大心，這全都是叫做「稚小無知」。

接下來說，「歡娛樂著」。「歡娛樂著」，就是那個火宅內，這樣一直在那裡遊戲，樂著在這個世間，聲、色等等這個欲樂。

歡娛樂著：
即前於火宅內
樂著嬉戲等
於此三界苦果
放逸六情
名為歡娛
貪著諸境
名為樂著

這種耽著在那個火宅裡面，所以三界的苦果，還是「放逸六情」，還是同樣這樣在放逸，不知道人間這種無常苦難，在我們的周圍，處處陷阱，都是不知。就像那些孩子很幼稚無知，所以貪著在種種的境界，這叫做「樂著」。

高興，「我高興，有什麼不可以。」「你為什麼要這樣？」「怎樣，我甘願啦！」像這樣，都是「無法度」，無法可度的人。面對著這種「無法度」的人，佛陀的慈悲，還是不放棄，也是同樣再進入這個火宅來，同樣要救他。這是為眾生「起大悲心」了，所以「出真兆聖」。

長者聞已
驚入火宅：
為諸眾生
起大悲心
出真兆聖
降跡塵寰也
長者聞已者
佛不忍眾生苦
驚入火宅者
緣起大悲心也
救苦悲生名驚
隨順生死
名入火宅

要知道，要修多久的行，才能夠回歸真如本性？要經過了無央數劫，是兆，不是億而已，那是億億的時間，很不容易！已經「出真」，已經這個真如回歸回來了，但是現在「不住第一義空」，他還是回歸娑婆。為了娑婆三界的眾生，他又再回歸回來入火宅中，所以叫做「降跡塵寰」，他又再下兜率、降皇宮。

所以說「長者聞已」，這位長者，長者就是佛陀，這是一種的譬喻，佛不忍眾生苦。「驚入火宅」，起大悲心，所以「救苦悲生」。怕這些眾生受苦難，所以才會不忍心，趕緊快進去，這種隨順眾生的生死，所以「名入火宅」。因為嚇到，我出來了，卻是還這麼多人在裡面，所以赶緊再進火宅，同樣隨順眾生，同樣這樣的生死，這就是佛陀的大慈悲。所以「方宜救濟，令無燒害」。

方宜救濟
令無燒害：
「方宜」者
正以機宜
擬施教大乘
「告喻」
即具告諸子
「說眾患難」下
正明所燒
重重疊疊
廣列二使眾生
溺沒三界
眾苦蔓延
相續不絕也

「方宜」，那就是用種種的方法，看眾生的根機來設教，隨順眾生的根機來施大教。所以「具告諸子，說眾患難」。但是有一項，不論你大小根機，開始說法，那就是「苦、集、滅、道」。一一來說明人間是苦，苦是從哪裡來呢？那就是利、鈍，「五鈍(使)」、「五利(使)」，貪、瞋、癡、慢、疑等等，身體，就是煽動這個身體去造作，造作就有業了。所以造了業，那是重重疊疊很多，所以因為這樣，沉沒在三界，沒辦法出離，所以「眾苦蔓延，相續不絕」，這實在是很苦。

為了要救人，所以不得不再進去，進入那個火宅裡，「後令與子同時出」。

由此入故
後令與子同時出
循環赴救
不顧火難
及時隨宜救濟

這種「循環赴救」，不只是一個人，他還要度很多人；不是這樣出來就好了，還要再進去，所以要再「循環赴救」，將他們帶出來，再帶進，去救人，這樣的循環。「由一乘而說三乘」。從一乘，就是只有一項成佛的道理，不過，眾生的根機不齊，他要分別說三乘。

由一乘而說三乘
令諸子得出火宅
無有燒害之難
亦喻眾生本具
出世善根
令無為煩惱火
之所燒害

「令諸子得出火宅，無有受燒害」，這樣能夠讓他完整離開火宅。不受火火所燒到，不受傷害，這就是譬喻，「眾生本具出世善根」，本來人人就有，但是欠缺教，所以要教他。

總而言之，佛陀是為一大事來人間，苦難偏多，來教大家一起來，有志一同投入人間菩薩，趕緊去度苦難眾生。所以要時時多用心。

Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Rescuing Children in the Burning House (悲愍眾生火宅救子)
Date:September.03. 2015

“The nature of True Suchness is supreme ultimate emptiness. Wisdom is knowing that the appearances of all phenomena are empty. The virtues fruit of Buddhahood is compassion for sentient beings. Completely uncomplicated and clean, His purifying conduct is spotless.”

In engaging in spiritual practice, we must be very mindful and reflect on our nature of True Suchness. Unfortunately, we sentient beings have covered our nature of True Suchness with no much ignorance that there is no way for this pure nature to manifest.
Unenlightened beings’ thinking is easily influenced by the sense objects of sight and sound. When we hear people say things to us that we do not want to hear, or when we hear that people are dissatisfied with us, we become upset. Thoughts begin to arise “Why do you criticize me so? With all that I have done, why aren’t you satisfied with me?” Thus afflictions are produced. This is attachment to the sense object of sound. The words that we hear easily cause us to act impulsively. When delusions of ignorance arise, we easily create karma. This is why we constantly talk about body, speech and mind.
We must be very careful in our speech. In our spiritual practice, how can we cultivate ourselves to have good speech? How can we cultivate being understanding with what we hear? Becoming attached to sound is how ordinary people develop afflictions. This is what makes us deluded people. If we can understand that, “The appearances of all phenomena are empty,” not only would we be understanding of the words people say to us, we would also be grateful for them. Then we would be considered wise.
“The virtuous fruit of Buddhahood is compassion for sentient beings.” We must return to our nature of True Suchness. By being good people and doing good deeds, we benefit sentient beings with all that we do. This is the state of Buddhahood. We all have a Buddha-mind; the Buddha is in our hearts. The Buddha consistently told us that all sentient beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature. Even if our Buddha-nature only appears briefly when we benefit others, for that instant, our actions are those of a Buddha; our Buddha-mind has manifested. Sadly for us sentient beings, the moments when these good thoughts manifest are very short. They are very quickly overwhelmed by ignorance. Thus we float up and down in the sea of suffering. That is why we must constantly keep the Buddha in our minds and have compassion for sentient beings. The mind of the Buddha is compassionate, so we must have compassion for sentient beings. We must be like the Buddha. He is already peaceful and at ease and resides on the seat of ultimate emptiness.
“The emptiness of all phenomena is the seat.” The mind of the Buddha forever abides in ultimate emptiness, in the nature of True Suchness. But out of His “compassion for sentient beings,” He continued to return to this world to help everyone accept the Dharma. Not only did He teach the Dharma for people to accept it, He continued to return to the Saha World to deliver sentient beings.
He repeated the principles over and over manifested an appearance of hearing the Dharma as well as teaching the Dharma. So, He manifested an appearance of transforming Himself others. This is why it is said that the Buddha is never gone from the Saha World. Thus He is called the “kind father of the four kinds of beings.” He forever remains in this world.
“Completely uncomplicated and clean” describes a state where worldly complications and all the afflictions, ignorance and delusion [in mind] have been completely eliminated. By returning to His pure nature of True Suchness, He has already perfected His great perfect mirror wisdom. We make use of sense objects of sound and sight to engage in spiritual practice. When we are no longer contaminated by them, we have reached the level of being “completely uncomplicated and clean.”
So, “His purifying conduct it spotless.” Purifying practices are cleansing. While among myriads of sentient beings, through the “suffering” and “causation” in this world, we are able to engage in spiritual practice. For this we must feel grateful. In addition to giving without expectations continue to give of ourselves. We have seen so many. Living Bodhisattvas in this world who mindfully devote themselves to helping others.
They are unafraid of getting dirty, unafraid of hardships, etc., while they give. So, as we go among people though we get dirty, once we remove our dirty clothes, once we remove our dirty clothes, bathe ourselves and change into clean clothes, our body will once again be clean. In the same way, our minds will not be contaminate by our surroundings. This comes from engaging in purifying conduct.
We will give to others with a pure mind. this is “spotless purifying conduct. Everyone, in learning the Buddha’ Way. It is most importance for us to have this kind of mindset.
The Dharma we have been discussing explains how much suffering there is in the world. Indeed, there is much suffering. If one does not recognize suffering, them one will remain in the same state, attached and deluded, unable to escape the burning house.
So, only by recognizing suffering will know we must engage in spiritual practice.

The previous sutra passage states, “At that time, the master of the house stood outside the door. He heard someone say, “All of your children, because they wanted to play, have entered this house.

There was a burning house, but the master of this house had already left. Only a group of children who did not recognize suffering or know right from wrong remained inside. They were still playing there and did not know enough to come out.
“He heard someone say means the master of the house was constantly preoccupied by these words. He knew that children were still inside. He saw and heard this; He witnessed it with compassion. He both seemed to heart and seemed to see; he had this understanding that the disasters by those in the burning house were already hidden all around and beginning to stir. These disasters were pressing ever closer.
The master of the house, the guiding teacher of the Three Realms and kind father of the four kinds of beings, Sakyamuni Buddha, could not bear for them to suffer.

He also knew that, as the following sutra passage states, “Young and ignorant, they were attached to their amusement. When the elder heard this, he entered the burning house with alarm to skillfully rescue them and prevent their being burned.

The elder had already left the burning house, but he had the thought that he could not bear for them to suffer, so he went back into the burning house. This is an analogy for how the Buddha felt “The Buddha, in His compassion, was saddened to see the ignorance of sentient beings.

The Buddha, in His compassion, was saddened to see the ignorance of sentient beings, how they are like and ignorant children, suffering because of their deluded karma. Preventing their being burned is an analogy for how the Buddha taught the world-transcending roots of goodness to prevent the fires of affliction from burning and harming them.

This is the compassion of the Buddha. [without it], He would have left for good. Since He had already attained Parinirvana and was in a state of complete cessation, He could have severed all ties with the Saha World. But out of His compassion, He could not bear for sentient beings to remain so foolish. Though He had already transcended the Three Realms, He came back to the Three Realms and re-entered the Saha World for one great cause.
With this metaphor, all these foolish sentient beings are compared to “young and ignorant children”. They are like young children, so they faced “suffering because of their deluded karma”. They ae still giving rise to delusions and creating karma; they have not sought to transcend the Saha World.
The Buddha, for the sake of enabling these foolish beings to quickly awaken to the suffering of the world, thus “taught the world-transcending [roots of goodness], how to escape from the burning house, transcend the world and nurture roots of goodness. This requires mindfulness. If people lack roots of goodness, if those roots do not manifest, they will be unable to escape the burning house.
So, He had to teach them patiently and return to the world repeatedly to guide sentient beings.This was the only way to prevent sentient beings from being burned by the fires of affliction.
Being “young and ignorant” means they had not cultivated good affinities or that they had only cultivated very weak affinities.

Young and ignorant: Those who have not cultivated strong affinities and not yet encountered great virtues are called young and ignorant. Having retreated from great aspirations, they transmigrate through the Three Realms, blinded by ignorance. They are called young and ignorant.

This is saying that either they had not encountered the Dharma in their past lifetime, or if they did encounter it, they did not form a strong affinity with it. Thus in this lifetime, they are in the same situation. Because their positive affinities are weak and their roots of wisdom are shallow, they had “not yet encountered great virtues”.
Their great virtues, blessings and wisdom remain quite superficial. People like this are still inside the burning house, they still linger there and have yet to awaken. Such people are “young and ignorant”. Not having affinities to encounter it in the past, they are even less likely to accept the Great Dharma now. Such people are “young and ignorant”.
Though they see virtuous people and want to join, they are unable to; they cannot maintain that resolve forever. So, they transmigrate in the Three Realms again. Their nature of True Suchness is once again covered by afflictions. Though there is a trace of goodness inside them, it is very weak. Although their love has been awakened, they quickly retreat from great aspirations. So, they are said to be “young and ignorant”.
Next we discuss, “They were attached to their amusement”. “They were attached to their amusement” means that inside the burning house, they continued to play their games, attached to the enjoyment of the worldly pleasures of sights and sounds and so on.

They were attached to their amusement: Previously it said, “Inside the burning house, attached to their playing” and so on. Amidst the suffering of the Three Realms, they indulge in their six senses. This is called amusement. Greedily clinging to external conditions is called attachment.

Attachment to the burning house results in their suffering in the Three Realms, yet still “They indulge in their six senses”. They are still indulging themselves. They do not know that impermanence and suffering are all around them, and they are surrounded by traps. They ae unaware, so like children who are young and ignorant, they greedily cling to various conditions. This is called “attachment”.
They do what makes them happy. “If it makes me happy, why can’t I do it? Why are you doing that? What’s wrong? I just want to!”. These people “cannot be transformed”. They lack the Dharma to be transformed. Even when dealing with those who cannot be transformed by the Dharma, the Buddha, in His compassion, still did not give up on them. He went back into the burning house in order to save them. For the sake of sentient beings, “He gave rise to great compassion”. So, “The one-in-a-trillion true sage appeared”.

When the elder heard this, he entered the burning house with alarm: for the sake of sentient beings, the Buddha gave rise to great compassion. The one-in-a-trillion true sage appeared and manifested a form in this material world. “When the elder heard” refers to how the Buddha could not bear to let sentient being suffer. “He entered the burning house with alarm means that He gave rise to great compassion. Delivering those who are suffering with compassion for all life is called “with alarm”. He hollows them in birth and death, thus it says He entered the burning house”.

We should realize that we must engage in spiritual practice for a long time to return to our nature of True Suchness. It will take countless kalpas. Those kalpas are measured in the Trillions, not just hundreds of million those kalpas are measured in the trillions not just hundreds not just hundreds of millions.Over this [very long] period of time, with great effort the “true sage appeared” He had already returned to His nature of True Suchness, but “did not abide in supreme ultimate emptiness.” He still returned to the Saha World. For the sake of sentient beings in the Three Realms of the Saha World, He returned to the burning house repeatedly.
So, He “manifested a form in this material world.” The Buddha descended from Tusita Heaven into the earthly palace. So, it says, “When the elder heard this. This elder is an metaphor for the Buddha. The Buddha could not bear to let beings suffer, so, “He entered burning house with alarm and with great compassion. He “delivered those within from suffering with compassion for all life.” He feared that they might suffer, so because He could not bear for this to happen, He quickly went in and followed sentient beings in birth and death. Thus it says “entered the burning house.”
He was alarmed, for though He had escaped, there were still many people inside. So, He hurriedly entered the burning house and followed these sentient beings, going through birth and death like them. This shows the great compassion of the Buddha.
He worked “to skillfully rescue them and prevent their being burned.”

The skillfully rescue them and prevent their being burned: Those who are “skillful” can accurately give the Great Vehicle teachings. To “let [them] knowmeans he told all his children. “All the numerous problems and hardships” are a way of explaining the burning. Over and over, He listed and expounded upon the two kinds of afflictions sentient beings have, how they are drowning in the Three Realms, and how the suffering of sentient beings is spreading, continuing on without end.

“Skillfully” means the Buddha used a variety of methods to establish the teachings according to the capabilities of sentient beings. He gave the great teachings based on their capabilities.
So, “He told all his children” about all the numerous problems and hardships. But there was one [common teaching]. Whether one’s capabilities were great of limited, the teachings always began with “suffering, causation, cessation and Path. He explained each way that life is suffering.
Where does that suffering come from? From the acute or chronic afflictions, Greed, anger, ignorance and doubt incite the body to take action. Once we take action, we create karma. Once we start creating karma, it builds up layer by layer. It is because of this that we are submerged in the Three Realms and cannot escape.
“The suffering of sentient beings is spreading, continuing on without end. This is indeed tremendous suffering. In order to save [his children] the elder had to go back inside the burning house so “later he might come out with the children.”

This is why he went in, so that later he might come out together with the children. In a cycle of coming and going to save them, he disregarded the fire. He took every opportunity to quickly save them.

It was “a cycle of coming and going to save them.” He did not do this for only one person; He wanted to transform many people. He could not just find His own way out, He had to go back in again. So, He was “coming and going to save them.” He leads them out, them [goes back] to save others. This is the cycle.
“From the One Vehicle, He expounded the Three Vehicles.” There is actually just the One Vehicle, one set of principles for attaining Buddhahood. But the capabilities of sentient beings vary, so He divided it into the Three Vehicles.

From the One vehicle, He expounded the Three Vehicles to help escape the burning house without the hardship of being burned. This is an analogy for sentient beings’ innate world-transcending roots of goodness that prevent the fires of afflictions from burning and harming them.

To help the children escape the burning house without the hardship of beings burned….” He wanted to help the children escape the house without being burned or injured. This is an analogy for how “Sentient beings [have] innate world-transcending roots of goodness.” Everyone inherently has these, but they need someone to teach them. So, the Buddha offered them teachings.
In summary, the Buddha came to the world for one great cause. Because there is so much suffering, He came to teach everyone to come together and share the same goal of dedicating themselves. And share the same goal of dedicating themselves to becoming Living Bodhisattvas and to promptly acting to transform suffering beings. So, we must always be mindful.

(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)