Once there was a brilliant, talented physician who was able to refine innumerable, limitless, different kinds of medicine in order to heal various kinds of disease. He was also knowledgeable about various medical sciences and understood the properties of various medicines. The doctor had many children. One day, the doctor went to another country for his work. His children drank someone else's poison by mistake, and the poison became so toxic that they became delirious, groaned in pain, and rolled on the ground.
At this time, the doctor came back from outside. The children who had drunk the poison, whether they were insane or still conscious, were very happy to see their father coming back from a distance. Kneeling on the ground, they greeted their father and said, "Fortunately, you came back safely. Because of our own ignorance, we accidentally took poison. I hope you, father, can treat us quickly so that we can survive and avoid being poisoned to death."
Seeing that his children were in such pain and distress, the father immediately followed the prescription and found the best herbs with the most beautiful color and fragrance, mixed them, and let the children take the medicine. He also said: "This is the best medicine, with good color, fragrance and taste. You can take it." If you take it, the pain of poisoning will be relieved soon, and there will no longer be any pain and disaster."
Among these sons and daughters, those who were still conscious saw this beautiful, fragrant and delicious medicine and immediately took it. The poison was eliminated and they were cured. The others were very happy to see their father after such a long time away but because they relied on the father too much they refused to take the medicine. As long as their father was present, they felt well enough and they thought they could always take the medicine later on. The doctor found that some of the children thought he would be with them forever. Therefore, they had no motivation to take the medicine.
The father thought to himself: "These children are so pitiful! The poison attacks their hearts and their minds are confused as well. Although they are happy to see me and beg me to treat them, they refuse to take the good medicine that had been given to them. I should think of another way now and let them take this good medicine." So the skillful physician pretended to leave again. He sent a friend to go to his house and told his children that their father had died. Only then, weeping disconsolately, did the children take the medicine and all the diseases were cured.
The skillful physician is the metaphor for the Buddha, and the children are the metaphor for all living beings. When the Buddha sees us falling ill and in pain, he will provide all the good medicine we need. However, we are unwilling to accept the medicine provided by the Buddha so that the Buddha showed Nirvana and made all living beings wake up and immediately follow the teachings He gives us spiritual medicine we need for the healing and transformation of our bodies and minds- the practice of mindfulness. Now it is time for us to practice the teachings so that we can recognize our true nature of no birth and no death.