The buddha told the story of a merchant, who went away on a business trip and left his little boy at home. While he was away, bandits came and burned down the whole village. When the merchant returned, he didn’t find his house, it was just a heap of ash. There was the charred body of child close by. He threw himself on the ground and began to weep over his body. The next day he had the little body cremated. Because his son was his only reason for existence, he made a beautiful little velvet bag and put his ashes inside. Wherever he went, he took the ashes with him. In fact his son had been kidnapped by bandits; three months later, the boy escaped and returned to the home. WHen he arrived, it was two o’clock in the morning. He knocked on the door of the new house his father had built. The poor father was lying on his bed crying, holding the bag of ashes, and he asked, “ Who is there?” It’s me, Daddy your son.” The father answered, “That’s not possible. My son is dead. I’ve cremated his body and I carry his ashes with me. You must be some naughty boy who’s trying to fool me. Go away! and don’t disturb me! He refused to open the door, and there was no way for the little boy to come in. The boy had to go away and the father lost his son forever.
After telling this story , the Buddha said, “If at some point in your life you adopt an idea of a perception as the absolute truth, you close the door of your mind.”
Attachment to ideas, views, and perceptions are the biggest obstacles to the truth.
This is why we must learn to ask ourselves, "Am I sure?"
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