Buddha convinced the people <br />Always with simple parables. <br />The story of three carts <br />Was one of those stories. <br /> <br />There was a wealthy man. <br />He had three children. <br />Their house caught fire <br />One day, quite unaware. <br /> <br />The boys were playing, <br />And despite a warning <br />From their worried father <br />They didn’t notice the fire. <br /> <br />He again softly told them <br />“You all now come. <br />I’ve kept three carts <br />Outside our house gate.” <br /> <br />“One is goat-cart <br />Another is deer-cart <br />The third is ox-cart, <br />Each one, you’ll get.” <br /> <br />At once, they ran out <br />To see their carts. <br />But saw three white <br />Ox driven carts. <br /> <br />By then, they were aware, <br />Their house was on fire. <br />No doubt, a lie it was, <br />But it saved three lives. <br /> <br />The white-ox was taken <br />As a middle path one, <br />That gave one contentment, <br />Happiness and enlightenment. <br /> <br /> He always said: <br /> <br />“One should eat and drink <br />Limited to what body takes. <br />Extreme austerities will torture <br />One’s body, also extreme pleasure.” <br /> <br />“Filled with water alone, <br /> A lamp will never burn. <br />You keep your body fit, <br />If you want enlightenment.” <br /> <br />“From tree top, a bird comes <br />Down to pick up grains, <br />But get caught in the net <br />By this tempting act.” <br /> <br />“Lured by a bait, <br />A fish gets caught, <br />When it’s tempted <br />To go for its food.” <br /> <br />“Like a lotus flower <br />In a pool of water, <br />One should learn <br />To grow and live on.” <br /> <br />“Lotus keeps on growing <br />Not minding its surrounding <br />One should grow like this, <br />Let it be any kind of circles.”<br /><br />Rajaram Ramachandran<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/buddha-16-buddha-s-ideals/
