old-path-white-clouds-thich-nhat-hanh

Chapter Twenty-Seven
All Dharmas Are on Fire
Every morning Kassapa brought the Buddha some food and so the Buddha did not need to go begging in the village. After his daily meal,
he walked alone on forest paths or down to the lotus pond. In the later afternoons, Kassapa would join him for discussion beneath the trees
or beside the pond. The more time he spent with the Buddha, the more Kassapa understood how wise and virtuous the Buddha was.
One night it rained so heavily that by morning the Neranjara River had overflowed its banks. Nearby fields and dwellings were quickly
submerged by floodwaters. Boats desperately went out to try to rescue people. Kassapa’s community was able to climb to higher land in
time, but no one could find Gautama. Kassapa sent several boats to look for him. At last he was found standing on a distant hill.
The water subsided as quickly as it had risen. The next morning the Buddha took his begging bowl and went down into the village to see
how the villagers had fared in the flood. Luckily no one had drowned. The people told the Buddha that because they did not own many
possessions in the first place, the flood had not robbed them of much.
Kassapa’s disciples began to rebuild the Fire Sanctuary which had been destroyed by fire and to rebuild their huts washed away by the
flood.
One afternoon, while the Buddha and Kassapa stood along the banks of the Neranjara, Kassapa said, “Gautama, the other day you
spoke about the meditation on one’s body, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. I have been practicing that
meditation and I have begun to understand how one’s feelings and perceptions determine the quality of one’s life. I also see that there is no
permanent element to be found in any of the five rivers. I can even see that the belief in a separate self is false. But I still don’t understand
why one should follow a spiritual path if there is no self? Who is there to be liberated?”
The Buddha asked, “Kassapa, do you accept that suffering is a truth?”
“Yes, Gautama, I accept that suffering is a truth.”
“Do you agree that suffering has causes?”
“Yes, I accept that suffering has causes.”
“Kassapa, when the causes of suffering are present, suffering is present. When the causes of suffering are removed, suffering is also
removed.”
“Yes, I see that when the causes of suffering are removed, suffering itself is removed.”
“The cause of suffering is ignorance, a false way of looking at reality. Thinking the impermanent is permanent, that is ignorance. Thinking
there is a self when there is not, that is ignorance. From ignorance is born greed, anger, fear, jealousy, and countless other sufferings. The
path of liberation is the path of looking deeply at things in order to truly realize the nature of impermanence, the absence of a separate self,
and the interdependence of all things. This path is the path which overcomes ignorance. Once ignorance is overcome, suffering is
transcended. That is true liberation. There is no need for a self for there to be liberation.”
Uruvela Kassapa sat silently for a moment and then said, “Gautama, I know you speak only from your own direct experience. Your
words do not simply express concepts. You have said that liberation can only be attained through the efforts of meditation, by looking
deeply at things. Do you think that all ceremonies, rituals, and prayers are useless?”
The Buddha pointed to the other side of the river and said, “Kassapa, if a person wants to cross to the other shore, what should he do?”
“If the water is shallow enough, he can wade across. Otherwise he will have to swim or row a boat across.”
“I agree. But what if he is unwilling to wade, swim, or row a boat? What if he just stands on this side of the river and prays to the other
shore to come to him? What would you think of such a man?”
“I would say he was being quite foolish!”
“Just so, Kassapa! If one doesn’t overcome ignorance and mental obstructions, one cannot cross to the other side to liberation, even if
one spends one’s whole life praying.”
Suddenly Kassapa burst into tears and prostrated himself before the Buddha’s feet. “Gautama, I have wasted more than half my life.
Please accept me as your disciple and give me the chance to study and practice the way of liberation with you.”
The Buddha helped Kassapa stand back up and said, “I would not hesitate to accept you as my disciple, but what of your five hundred