法华经火宅喻的动画 (说明：“三界无安，犹如火宅“，“唯依念佛，得度生死”。)

动画：法华经的火宅喻，说明：“三界无安，犹如火宅“，“唯依念佛，得度生死”。

释迦牟尼佛在法华经有个火宅喻的譬喻，出自譬喻品。动画中的故事是说，一位富豪有一大宅，年久失修，一天突然大火烧起，但是长者的孩子们正在大宅内玩乐嬉戏，眼看火就要烧到孩子们，但是长者再三诱导，孩子们都不听他的话，还在里面玩乐。于是长者想出一个办法，对孩子们讲到：“门外有羊车、鹿车和牛车，任你们游戏，孩子们快出去拿。”听到长者的话后，孩子们迫不及待的向外冲出火宅，这时孩子们脱离了危险，长者给每一位孩子一辆上等的大白牛车。

这个事中的火，比喻五浊、八苦等；宅，比喻三界。谓三界之众生为五浊、八苦所逼迫，不得安稳，犹如大宅被火所烧，而不能安居。

法华经上说：“三界无安，犹如火宅，众苦充满，甚可布畏”。

「三界」，就是欲界、色界、无色界。整个三千大千世界，就像燃烧的房子，充满了大火！三界是不安稳，充满恐惧、痛苦，非常可怕，但众生不觉悟，不知道苦难危急在眼前，不知道可怕，更不知道出离。

在六道中，地狱，饿鬼，畜牲，是三恶道，是最苦的，天道，阿修罗道，人道是三善道，但三善道仍然是苦。人道是苦乐掺半，其实大多数是苦多乐少。佛说人生有八苦，还有人世间无尽的烦恼，但多数人不知生从何来，死往何去，完全随因果业力，众苦煎迫，还执着放不下。六道中天道是比较好一点的，寿命比较长，享乐比较多，但天道寿命也是有限的，享受完了还是终将轮回，没有尽头，依然摆脱不了苦，所以，三界之中，没有一个安全的避风港。
长者比喻释迦牟尼佛。羊车、鹿车和牛车比喻佛以种种方便来引导众生出离火宅，出离轮回。佛法有八万多种法门，但佛为我们指出了一条光明大道，出离轮回最快速最简便易行最殊胜的净土念佛法门。譬喻中的大白牛车就是净土法门。

《阿弥陀经》说： 彼土何故名为极乐？其国众生，无有众苦，但受诸乐，故名极乐。

《法华经》在说明娑婆的实相──就像火在燃烧的房子；《阿弥陀经》则在说明极乐世界的实相──往生净土就离开种种苦。 由此亦可知《法华经》的目的，是在指向极乐世界。

我们众生能去极乐世界，是因为阿弥陀佛的慈悲大愿四十八愿，尤其是本愿第十八愿。只要众生常称念南无阿弥陀佛，阿弥陀佛就会在我们命终时接引我们到他的安乐净土，这是阿弥陀佛无比的大慈悲心。南无阿弥陀佛

The Parable of the Burning House from the Lotus Sutra

The animation depicts a wise and wealthy old man who was aware that his dilapidated mansion was ablaze. His children, however, were trapped inside the blazing house. To save his children, he told them to leave the house but his children were too caught up in their toys to heed his father’s advice. Hence, the father enticed his children by telling them about the three kinds of toys outside the mansion: goat cart, deer cart, and ox cart. Having heard the unusual toys, his children were excited and they scrambled to leave the blazing mansion. After the children managed to escape, their father gave them the most splendid white ox cart.

Insights of Parable:

In this parable the father, of course, is the Shakyamuni Buddha and we sentient beings are the children trapped in the burning house. The Burning House represents the world burning with the fires of old age, sickness and death. Most living beings are profoundly addicted to worldly pleasure and transient pursuits and have no wise thoughts to leave the threefold world. The teachings of the Buddha are like the father getting the boys to leave their pleasures for a greater pleasure, enlightenment. The carts represent the different schools of Buddhism ie the Hinayana, Mahayana and Tantrayana. The goat cart is the Four Noble Truths, deer cart is Twelve-linked Chains of Causation, the ox cart is Six Paramitas (for bodhisattvas) and represents the Mahayana Buddhism. Finally, the most splendid white ox cart represents represents the Buddha's Pure Land Teachings.

By having faith in, and acceptance of, Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance and his 48 vows (particularly the Fundamental 18th Vow), single-minded recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s name (Namo Amitabha) and aspiration to rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land, we will be able to reborn in the Pure Land’s Realm of Rewards at the end of our present lifetime. In the Pure Land, there is none of the suffering and defilement and delusion that normally blocks people’s efforts toward enlightenment, which exist in our world. There in Pure Land, in more favourable surroundings, and due to the fulfilment and attainment of Amitabha Buddha's compassionate 48 vows, we will definitely attain complete enlightenment.

Namo Amitabha!