Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
Two Rivers and A White Path
This parable has a very subtle and deep meaning. Let’s take a look at the meaning of these metaphors:
The “East bank” refers to the Saha World, a place as wretched and dangerous as a burning house; while the “West bank” refers to the treasure-adorned Pure Land of Bliss.
“A horde of vicious ruffians and wild beasts pretend to be friendly and kind to the traveler.” This refers to: the six senses, the six kinds of consciousness, the six sense objects, the five aggregates, and the four elements of sentient beings.
“The wasteland where there is no one to be found” refers to the fact that we are always surrounded by false and ignorant “friends”, who make it very difficult to meet a truly good teacher.
“The two rivers, of water and fire,” describe sentient beings’ greed and lust, which are like surging waves; and their anger and hatred, which burn like fire.
“The white path in the middle, four or five inches wide,” shows that a pure aspiration for rebirth can still arise despite sentient beings’ passions of greed and anger. Since our greed and anger can be intense, they are compared to surging water and roaring fire. Quite often the goodness in our minds is weak, here it is compared to a narrow trail, as symbolized by the white path.
Further, “waves that always splash the path” are like our greed, that always arises and defiles our minds. “Flames constantly burn the path” shows that anger and hatred burn the Dharma-treasure of virtue.
“The traveler at once takes the white path westward,” describes the practitioner who dedicates the merits and virtues from his assorted practices to his rebirth in the Western Land of Bliss.
“Hearing a voice from the east bank urging him to proceed, he immediately takes the path to the west.” This shows that, even though Buddha Shakyamuni has already passed and people cannot see him, his teachings are still very much with us and can be followed. This teaching is expressed by the voice from the east.
“As he takes a step or two, a horde of ruffians tries to trick him into returning.”This refers to those who have different understandings, different practices, or mistaken views, who try to confuse practitioners of the Pure Land Path. They even commit bad karma that forces them to retrogress.
“He hears the voice of someone from the west bank calling out to him”. This is the primal vow of Amitabha Buddha.
The scenario of “the traveler’s speedy arrival at the west bank and his rejoicing at seeing his good friends,” shows that sentient beings who are trapped in the cycle of birth and death for endless reincarnations, with no hope of liberation, are urged by Shakyamuni to proceed to the west and are summoned there through Amitabha’s great compassion.
They now faithfully rely upon the power of Amitabha’s primal vow and are no longer afraid of the two menacing rivers. They hold fast to the practice of Amitabha-recitation single-mindedly. At the end of their lives, they will be transported to the Pure Land by Amitabha, where they will live in infinite bliss.
還有另一層比喻。
次合喻者:
言“東岸”者,即喻此娑婆之火宅也。言“西岸”者,即喻極樂寶國也。
言“群賊、惡獸詐親”者,即喻眾生六根、六識、六塵、五陰、四大也。
言“無人空迥澤”者,即喻常隨惡友,不值真善知識也。
言“水火二河”者,即喻眾生貪愛如水、瞋憎如火也。
言中間“白道”四五寸者,即喻眾生貪瞋煩惱中,能生清淨願往生心也。乃由貪瞋強故,即喻如水火;善心微故,喻如白道。
又,“水波常濕道”者,即喻愛心常起,能染污善心也。
又,“火焰常燒道”者,即喻瞋嫌之心,能燒功德之法財也。
言人行道上“直向西”者,即喻回諸行業,直向西方也。
言“東岸聞人聲勸遣,尋道直西進”者,即喻釋迦已滅,後人不見,由有教法可尋,即喻之如聲也。言或行一分二分,“群賊等喚回”者,即喻別解、別行、惡見人等,妄說見解,疊相惑亂,及自造罪退失也。
言“西岸上有人喚”者,即喻彌陀願意也。言“須臾到西岸,善友相見喜”者,即喻眾生久沉生死,曠劫輪迴,迷倒自纏,無由解脫;仰蒙釋迦發遣,指向西方,又藉彌陀悲心招喚,今信順二尊之意,不顧水火二河,唸唸無遺,乘彼願力之道,捨命以後,得生彼國,與佛相見,慶喜何極也。
Namo Amituofo!
