Some recluses and brahmans, so called,
Are deeply attached to their own views;
People who only see one side of things
Engage in quarrels and disputes.
The Buddha’s point in explaining this parable is how people assert their own viewpoints even with just partial information and oftentimes wrong assumptions.
With all the political back-and-forth that goes on these days, we’re used to hunkering down with our “camp” of like-minded colleagues against an “other” who threatens us with their differing views.
But as the Buddha explains:
“The wanderers of other sects, bhikkhus, are blind, unseeing. They do not know what is beneficial, they do not know what is harmful. They do not know what is Dhamma, they do not know what is not Dhamma. Not knowing what is beneficial and what is harmful, not knowing what is Dhamma and what is not Dhamma, they are quarrelsome… saying: ‘Dhamma is like this!… Dhamma is like that!’
(trans. John D. Ireland)
Here in this context “Dhamma” means “the way things are” in an objective sense. Instead, these people who cling to certain viewpoints becoming increasingly divorced from reality and thus bring misery and confusion to themselves.
This is a hard thing to let go of too, because it’s woven into our sense of self. While Buddhism does teach “anatman” or “no-self”, nevertheless we construct our world from our lifetime of experiences, good and bad. Thus, when someone attacks our views, it is an attack on our sense of self.
But so long as we cling to this sense of self, we suffer in myriad ways.
Thus, when the Buddha taught his son/disciple Rahula, he said:
And that should be seen as it actually is present with right discernment: ‘This is not mine, this is not me, this is not my self.’
(trans. Ven. Thanissaro Bhikkhu
The first step in avoiding a trap (even one you create for yourself) is being aware of its existence. 😉