Master Yinguang’s Short Teaching about “Entirely the Buddha’s Power” (analogy of sailing on a ship across the sea)
印光大師法語「全是佛力」之文(坐船過海之喻)
For example, a grain of sand will sink immediately when placed in water. However, if tons of gravel and boulders are placed on a big ship, they will be transported to other places without sinking. Gravel and boulders represent sentient beings’ heavy karma, while the big ship is a metaphor for Amitabha’s great compassionate power.
If we do not recite Amitabha’s Name and rely on our own power of cultivation to end our cycle of birth-and-death, we must reach a state in which our karmas are completely extinguished and our emotions are empty. We cannot liberate ourselves from the cycle of birth-and-death. Even if we have a tiny strand of affliction and delusive karma remaining , like a grain of sand we will sink to the bottom of the water, because a grain of sand cannot float on the water on its own.
譬如一顆沙子,入水即沉,縱有數千萬斤石,裝於大火輪船中,即可不沉而運於他處,以隨意使用也。石喻眾生之業力深重,大火輪喻彌陀之慈力廣大。若不念佛,仗自己修持之力,欲了生死,須到業盡情空地位方可。否則縱令煩惱惑業斷得只有一絲毫,亦不能了, 喻如極小之沙子,亦必沉於水中,決不能自己出於水外。
Namo Amituofo!
