What did Buddha say about the difficulty of erasing our sins?
Steve Cioccolanti, in his book FROM BUDDHA TO JESUS: An Insider’s View of Buddhism & Christianity (Comparative World Religions), said Buddha used several parables to illustrate how difficult it is to erase our sins, and what he said is the ultimate solution to the problem of our sin.
Buddha’s first parable on escaping our sin is the parable of The Blind Turtle. One day, a disciple asked Buddha, “How can we escape our sins?” Buddha answered with a story: “Imagine this: You put a yoke in a river, letting it float away for three years. Then, you release a blind turtle into the river to find that yoke. The day that blind turtle finds the yoke is when your sins will be forgiven.”
Buddha was showing how impossible it is to erase our sins by ourselves. The chances of earning our way to Heaven by being good are as slim as a blind turtle finding a yoke in a vast river after years of searching. The lesson is that we cannot save ourselves; we need help beyond our efforts.
The second parable is King Asoka & the Python. King Asoka, a great ruler, had to commit terrible deeds to claim his throne, including killing his half-brothers. But later, he embraced Buddhism and spread its teachings far and wide. Though he became famous as a devout follower, his story carries a warning.
Though Asoka’s father was a good man who followed all the Buddhist commandments, he once entertained the thought of catching fish for a meal but never acted on it. Despite this, after his death, he was turned into a python in the jungle as punishment for his sinful thoughts. When Asoka died and went to Heaven, he asked where his father was. Heaven’s gatekeeper told him about his father’s fate.
Asoka found his father in the jungle, now a massive snake who did not recognize him and even wanted to eat him. Asoka proved he was his son. His father shared the truth: Even one sinful thought had doomed him to countless lifetimes of suffering. Each scale on the python’s back represented a lifetime he would endure.
This tale shows that even one small sinful thought can lead to immense suffering. It reminds us that we are all bound by sin, and we will experience endless pain unless we find a way to be truly free.
The third parable is Angel and the Stone. Buddha also shared another powerful image: “Imagine a huge granite stone, so big and heavy that it could be used to cover a grave. Now, imagine an angel coming down from Heaven to wipe the stone with a cloth once every year. The day this stone completely wears away by the angle is the day that the sins of humanity will disappear.”
This story teaches us that the burden of our sins is vast, and the process of erasing them is long and difficult. It’s not something we can easily overcome on our own.
These stories highlight sin’s heavy and lasting nature and how difficult it is to remove it. They echo the teachings of Christianity: men cannot solve their sins, and they need a Savior to overcome them.
Let’s delve deeper into the stories and their meanings.
The Blind Turtle: This story vividly illustrates how difficult or nearly impossible it is to erase our sins through our efforts. The imagery of a blind turtle finding a yoke in a vast river is striking because it paints a picture of how elusive salvation or freedom from sin is when we rely solely on our actions.
Connection to Christianity: In Christian theology, this parable resonates with the idea that human efforts alone cannot lead to salvation. The Bible teaches that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Just as the turtle’s chances of finding the yoke are slim, the likelihood of humans reaching Heaven by their good deeds is equally improbable. This is why the need for a Savior, Jesus Christ, is emphasized in Christianity. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is seen as the only way for sins to be truly forgiven, something humans cannot achieve on their own.
King Asoka & the Python: King Asoka’s story adds a layer of complexity to the concept of sin, suggesting that even our thoughts can be sinful and have serious consequences. Asoka’s father, though a good man in most respects, had a fleeting thought of killing a fish for a meal. Despite never acting on it, this thought alone was enough to condemn him to a painful existence as a python. This underscores the idea that sin is not just about actions but also about the intentions of the heart.
Connection to Christianity: This idea parallels Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:28, where He says that anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery in his heart. This highlights that sin originates in the heart and mind, not just in our actions. The punishment faced by Asoka’s father also reflects the biblical concept of eternal suffering as a consequence of sin. In Christianity, however, Jesus offers redemption from this eternal suffering, emphasizing the need for divine intervention to overcome sin.
The Angel and the Stone: This parable uses the imagery of an angel slowly wearing down a massive stone to convey how daunting the task of erasing sins is. The stone represents the weight and permanence of human sins, and the angel’s slow work symbolizes how difficult and time-consuming it would be to remove them.
Connection to Christianity: The idea of sin being a heavy burden is also found in the Bible, where sin is described as something that entangles and weighs people down (Hebrews 12:1). The parable suggests that dealing with sin is overwhelmingly difficult without divine help. In Christian belief, Jesus is seen as the one who takes on this burden for humanity, offering a way to be freed from the weight of sin.
Key Takeaways:
Human Effort vs. Divine Intervention: All three stories emphasize the difficulty, if not the impossibility, of overcoming sin through human effort alone. Whether it’s the blind turtle, Asoka’s father’s sinful thought, or the stone’s burden, the message is clear: something beyond ourselves is needed to truly erase sin.
The Nature of Sin: These parables also explore the pervasive nature of sin—it’s not just in our actions but in our thoughts and intentions. This aligns with the Christian view that sin is deeply rooted in human nature and requires a transformation of the heart.
The Need for a Savior: In Christianity, these stories would naturally lead to the conclusion that we need a Savior, someone who can do what we cannot. Jesus Christ is presented as this Savior, offering forgiveness and freedom from sin through His sacrifice.
These stories can serve as powerful tools for teaching the nature of sin and the need for salvation. They show that sin is not just about what we do but also what we think and feel. They also emphasize that overcoming sin is not something we can achieve on our own but requires help from a higher power. What is the most amazing about what these parables teach by Buddha is their similarity to the teaching of Christ.