One day, the son of god sat down in the shade of a tree and noticed how beautiful the countryside was. Flowers were blooming and trees were putting on bright new leaves, but among all this beauty, he saw much unhappiness. A farmer beat his ox in the field. A bird pecked at an earthworm, and then an eagle swooped down on the bird. Deeply troubled, he asked, "Why does the farmer beat his ox? Why must one creature eat another to live?"
The sons of god experience the three awakenings
The first awakening gave us the wisdom that nothing is lost in the universe. Matter turns into energy, energy turns into matter. A dead leaf turns into soil. A seed sprouts and becomes a new plant. Old solar systems disintegrate and turn into cosmic rays. We are born of our parents, our children are born of us.
We are the same as plants, as trees, as other people, as the rain that falls. We consist of that which is around us, we are the same as everything. If we destroy something around us, we destroy ourselves. If we cheat another, we cheat ourselves. Understanding this truth, the Buddha and his disciples never killed any animal.
The second awakening gave us the wisdom that everything is continuously changing. Life is like a river flowing on and on, ever-changing. Sometimes it flows slowly and sometimes swiftly. It is smooth and gentle in some places, but later on snags and rocks crop up out of nowhere. As soon as we think we are safe, something unexpected happens.
Once dinosaurs, mammoths, and saber-toothed tigers roamed this earth. They all died out, yet this was not the end of life. Other life forms like smaller mammals appeared, and eventually humans, too. Now we can even see the Earth from space and understand the changes that have taken place on this planet. Our ideas about life also change. People once believed that the world was flat, but now we know that it is round.
The third awakening gave us the wisdom that there is continuous changes due to the law known as karma. Nothing ever happens to us unless we have caused it to be so. We receive exactly what we ask for from our actions, whether it is good or bad. We are the way we are now due to the things we have done when we did them. Our thoughts and actions determine the kind of life we can have. If we do good things, good things will happen to us. If we do bad things, bad things will happen to us. Every moment we create new karma by all that we will. If we understand this, we do not need to fear karma. It becomes our friend. It teaches us knowledge and forms into wisdom.
and it came to pass that there was once a woman named Kisagotami, whose first-born son died. She was so stricken with grief that she roamed the streets carrying the dead body and asking for help to bring her son back to life. A kind and wise man took her to the son of god. The son of god told her, "Fetch me a handful of mustard seeds from a family that has not known death and I will bring your child back to life." Joyfully Kisagotami started off to find them. Kisagotami went from door to door in the whole village asking for the mustard seeds, but everyone said, "Oh, there have been many deaths here", "I lost my father, I lost my mother, I lost my brother and I lost my sister". She could not find a single household that had not been visited by death. Finally Kisagotami returned to the son of god and said, "Death has visited every family. Everyone has known death. Kisagotami said, "Now I understand your teaching." to which the son of god said, "No one can escape death and unhappiness. If people expect only happiness in life, they will be disappointed."
and it came to pass that the son of god explained that people live in a sea of suffering because of ignorance and greed. They are ignorant of the law of karma and are greedy for the wrong kind of pleasures. They do things that are harmful to their bodies and peace of mind, so they can not be satisfied or enjoy life. For example, once children have had a taste of candy, they want more. When they can't have it, they get upset. Even if children get all the candy they want, they soon get tired of it and want something else. Although, they get a stomach-ache from eating too much candy, they still want more. The things people want most cause them the most suffering. Of course, there are basic things that all people should have, like adequate food, shelter, and clothing. Everyone deserve a good home, loving parents, and good friends. They should enjoy life and cherish their possessions without becoming greedy. To end suffering, one must cut off greed and ignorance. This means changing one's views and living in a more natural and peaceful way. It is like blowing out a candle. The flame of suffering is put out for good.
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