The parable of the burning house and the three carts is one that has been around for centuries, and it teaches an important lesson to Buddhist children, one that can benefit those of other religions as well. It goes like this:
Once, there was a wealthy man who was father to many children. He lived in a grand home. One day, a fire broke out in the house, and the man yelled for his children, telling them to flee as quickly as they could. But the children were absorbed in their games, and didn’t hear their father calling to them.
The man had to come up with a plan, and almost immediately, he did. He knew certain playthings would catch the attention of his children, so he yelled to them that he had new toys for them, the very things they had always wanted! “Just outside the gate are those carts you wanted…one pulled by oxen, one by deer, and one by goats. Come out and play with them!”
The children raced out of the house to get to the carts they wanted. The wealthy man had saved his children.
But once outside, they asked where the carts were. The father, so grateful to have his children safe with him and away from the flames, gave them something greater — a much finer and larger cart than they had ever seen, one pulled by the best of oxen, a faster cart than anyone had ever known before.
What does it mean? In the parable, the children represent the people, and the wealthy man represents Buddha. The small carts represent the teachings, which were to pull them away from the flames of the world. But once they had learned of the three teachings, then they went on to learn much more. The larger cart represents the Lotus Sutra, or the teachings that open up the way to the greater understanding and enlightenment.