Page:Henry Mulford Tichenor - The Buddhist Philosophy of Life.djvu/44

 42 thoughts. They are like unto children, and love to hear tales. I will tell them parables to show the glory of the Dharma (Truth).

There was a man born blind, and he said: "I do not believe in the world of light and color. There is no sun, no moon, no stars. No one has seen these things."

His friends, who could see, tried to convince him of his error, but without avail. "What you say you see," he said, "are illusions. If light and colors existed I should be able to touch and feel them."

There was a renowned physician, who was called to examine the eyes of the blind man; and when he had examined them, he put together four remedies, and applied them; and the eyes of the blind man were brought to sight.

The Tathagata (Buddha) is the physician, the blindness is the error of self, and the four remedies are the four noble truths.

There was a householder's son who went away into a far country; and, while his father accumulated great wealth, the son became destitute.

And at last the son, searching for food, came to the country where his father lived; and his father saw him in his wretchedness, and ordered his servants to bring him to him.

When the son saw the place to which he was brought, he said to himself: "I surely have