On rare chances—and what you do with them

There’s a story from the Buddha that cuts deep—especially for those of us who think in probabilities.

Imagine the ocean.

Not poetic—just vast. Deep. No bottom in sight. Now picture a single wooden ring floating on the surface. Just drifting. One ring, whole planet.

And somewhere in that ocean, there’s a turtle. But it’s blind. Can’t see the ring. Doesn’t even know it’s there.

It surfaces once every hundred years for air.

What are the odds that turtle comes up and puts its head through the ring?

That’s the metaphor the Buddha used to show how rare it is to be born human. Then he added: even rarer to hear a true teaching.

Pure Land Buddhism takes it one step further.
Hearing Amitabha’s name—that’s the ring.
We’ve surfaced. We’ve heard it.

In martial arts, we talk about timing. Openings.
A good fighter doesn’t waste motion.
When a gap appears—one breath, one shift—we move.
That’s the mindset. Not forcing, not waiting—just clear.

This isn’t about luck.
It’s about awareness.
A moment shows up. Do we see it? Do we move?

We’re not blind turtles.
We’re here. Alive. Breathing. Aware.

So the question is:
What are we doing with that?

Here’s the original Pāli Canon version from the Samyutta Nikāya (SN 56.48), as spoken by Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni Buddha):

“Suppose, monks, a blind turtle were to come up to the surface once every hundred years in the great ocean. There were a single yoke floating on the surface, tossed by the wind and waves. What do you think—would that blind turtle ever put its neck through that yoke?”

The monks replied, “It would be extremely rare, Lord.”

And the Buddha said, “Just so, monks, is the chance of being born as a human being. Just so rare is it to encounter the Dharma.”

Want to Dig Deeper?

• Samyutta Nikāya 56.48 – The original story about the blind turtle
• Amitabha Sutra – Short, sharp, foundational Pure Land text
• Infinite Life Sutra – Explains Amitabha’s vow in full
• Modern Books:
  • River of Fire, River of Water – Taitetsu Unno
  • The Promise of Amida Buddha – Hisao Inagaki
  • The Three Pure Land Sutras – BDK English Tripitaka

This isn’t religion. It’s recognition. And recognition is half the path.