studyinglotus

[studyinglotus]

the event of being born as a human does not occur easily: the blind turtle probability

The Buddha uses the blind turtle metaphor that the chance of being born as a human is so small, like a blind turtle swimming in the ocean of turbulences, and with only a single shot to peak its head up for air through a single ring that perfectly fits the diameter of its head among numerous sized rings floating on the surface.

Though quite too unspecific to compute the chance, it is a vivid and descriptive attempt to illustrate the rarity, or preciousness, of human life. This perspective could be elusive when we face other humans everyday on this planet, but from the larger perspective, that chance is so miniscule.

The turtle's situation is one way the turtle image is portrayed in my local theravada culture through oral tradition. The teachings often continues to say that humans have the capacity through hard work to attain knowledge, create beautiful things, and also reach nirvana. It is so rare to have a life form like us. However, it takes different levels of effort and amount of time to achieve them, because each person is different.

However, Mahayana Buddhism has multiple versions according to english Soka Gakkai Nichiren Buddhism Library. The Lotus Sutra version says that the turtle is one-eyed and its task is to find a floating hollow sandlewood log large enough to hold him. I think it is interesting that it went from a ring to a cylinder, and a bit more flexible about size which is appropriate because Mahayana is known to be more lenient and inclusive than Theravada buddhism. In any case, this image is used to illustrate the rarity of encountering Buddha's teaching. The Nirvana Sutra uses the same image to convey the chance of being born human and encountering the teachings. Meanwhile, Agama Sutra is the one with the turtle that is completely blind, and has a home at the bottom of the sea, but he has one chance *every one-hundred years* instead of just one to rise to the surface, and needs to find a log. Here is when the Buddha says, it is even rarer to having been born a human!

If you can bear variations of poor turtle, other versions handicap the turtle even more, and the number of years may change, but they seem to stick with a log, because how do you extrude a log?

I could have written this more concisely and to the point, but I just wanted to linger on this moment while the turtle is convincing us what a rare event we are and so may be we should not just throw it away.

I hope you are taking care and staying safe.

ps* I am not an expert on the subject and just started reading around. I apologize if something is inaccurate to the letter. These are just my personal reflections on what I read.