Buddha as "lord" and Buddha as "choosing" his followers The following section in the Modernist poem The Waste Land is often linked to Buddhism, in the academic literature.


  Burning burning burning burning / O Lord Thou pluckest me out / O Lord
  Thou pluckest // burning


It ends section three, The Fire Sermon.

I wanted to ask


How common is the term "lord" for Buddha?
Would the followers of any of the Buddhist traditions ask the Buddha, who gave the fire sermon, to choose them, or pluck them out?


I'm just a little skeptical that it is about the Buddha, despite the title to that section.
"Lord Buddha" is used all the time ". Translations from Pali would often use language from the Bible, at least in earlier translations.

Sounds like appreciation to Lord Buddha for plucking one out of the fire of sensual desire.

Many people asked to be taught the teachings in many ways, some misunderstood the teachings before they asked and some understood at least what they were basicly about but in the above I think perhaps they are using poetic licence.