The Blind Turtle

Not addicted to samsara's delights,
fulfilling the mission of precious life
pursuing the fully reliable path,
listen with a clear mind, you fortunate one.
-- The Three Principles of the Path, Verse 2

Precious human life, gained but once,
Has great potential but is easily lost.
Inspire me to remember this constantly
And to think day and night of taking its essence.
-- The Foundation of All Perfections, Verse 2

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
-- Psalm 8:3-5 (KJV)

When the Lam Rim refers to "precious human life," it is talking about your life, here and now. From a Christian point of view, this life is your only shot at living fully, joyfully and meaningfully, and dying without regret; from a Buddhist point of view, it is the best shot you may get for a long time - there is no guarantee that you will take rebirth in human form at an appropriate time and place to make any spiritual progress.

"Monks, suppose that this great earth were totally covered with water, and a man were to toss a yoke with a single hole there. A wind from the east would push it west, a wind from the west would push it east. A wind from the north would push it south, a wind from the south would push it north. And suppose a blind sea-turtle were there. It would come to the surface once every one hundred years. Now what do you think: would that blind sea-turtle, coming to the surface once every one hundred years, stick his neck into the yoke with a single hole?"

"It would be a sheer coincidence, lord, that the blind sea-turtle, coming to the surface once every one hundred years, would stick his neck into the yoke with a single hole."

"It's likewise a sheer coincidence that one obtains the human state. It's likewise a sheer coincidence that a Tathagata, worthy & rightly self-awakened, arises in the world. It's likewise a sheer coincidence that a doctrine & discipline expounded by a Tathagata appears in the world. Now, this human state has been obtained. A Tathagata, worthy & rightly self-awakened, has arisen in the world. A doctrine & discipline expounded by a Tathagata appears in the world.

"Therefore your duty is the contemplation, 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress.' Your duty is the contemplation, 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.'"

"Chiggala Sutta: The Hole" (SN 56.48).
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight, 1 July 2010