Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
The parable of “Two Rivers and a White Path” by Master Shandao
8. Amitabha-Recitation Revives the Reciter
The traveler in the parable “Two Rivers and A White Path” laments, “I will die whether I turn back, stay, or continue to the other bank. Death seems inevitable. This being so, I might as well give the white path a chance.” This is a metaphor for reaching the end of our tether in our spiritual practice. We feel desperate. We’ve reached a deadend.
Just then, we hear the voice of Shakyamuni Buddha on the east bank exhorting, “You must go across!” and we hear Amitabha Buddha calling from the west bank imploring, “I will protect you!”
A practitioner who has never experienced desperation on the path of cultivation, caused by the feeling that he’s doomed whichever way he takes, will find it difficult to whole-heartedly recite the name of Amitabha Buddha.
二河白道喻
8.念佛起死回生
“二河白道喻”中這個人說:“我今回亦死,住亦死,去亦死;一種不免死者,我寧尋此道向前而去。”這是指我們在修行的過程中覺得自己到了山窮水盡的境地,沒有辦法了,只有死路一條了,就在這時,聽到釋迦牟尼佛在此岸發遣說:“你要過去!”阿彌陀佛在彼岸呼喚說:“我保護你!”一個人沒有感受到“回亦死,住亦死,去亦死”,是很難老實唸佛的。
Namo Amituofo!
