Parable of Two Rivers and a White Path

• sanath

  5 Mar 08, 01:41

  

• sanath

  5 Mar 08, 01:45

  ＴＷＯ　ＲＩＶＥＲＳ　ＡＮＤ　ＴＨＥ　ＷＨＩＴＥ　ＰＡＴＨ

  by Shan-tao

  translated from Chinese by Zuio Hisao Inagaki

  今更爲行者説一譬喩守護信心�以防外邪異見之難。何者是也。
  
  I wish to say to all aspirants for birth: I will now present a parable for practicers in order to protect their Faith and to guard it against attacks by those who have non-Buddhist, wrong and delusory views. What is the parable?
  
  譬如有人欲�西行百�里�忽然中路見有二河。一是�河�在��二是水河�在北。二河�闊百歩��深無底��北無邊。正水�中間�有一白���闊四五寸許。此�從�岸至西岸�亦長百歩。其水波浪交�濕��其�焔亦來焼��水�相交常無休�。
  
  Suppose a man is traveling a hundred thousand li towards the west. On the way, he suddenly comes upon two rivers: one is a river of fire that extends southward, and the other is a river of water that extends northward. The two rivers are each a hundred paces wide and unfathomably deep, extending endlessly to the north and south. Where they meet, there is a white path, four or five inches wide. This path is a hundred paces long from the east bank to the west. The waves of the water splash and the flames of the fire burn the path. The waves and flames alternate without ceasing.
  
  此人既至空曠迥處�更無人物。多有群賊惡��見此人單��競來欲殺此人。怖死直走�西�忽然見此大河��自念言。此河�北�見邊畔�中間見一白��極是狭�。二岸相去雖近�何由�行。今日定死�疑。正欲到迴群賊惡�漸々來逼。正欲�北�走�惡�毒虫競來�我。正欲�西尋�而去�復�墮此水�二河。
  
  This traveler has already journeyed far into the open plain where there is no one to be found. Suddenly, there appear many bandits and vicious beasts. Seeing him alone, they approach competing with each other to kill him. Afraid of death, he at once runs to the west. When he suddenly sees this great river, he says to himself, "This river extends endlessly to the south and to the north. I see a white path in the middle, but it is extremely narrow. Although the two banks are close to each other, how can I get across? Undoubtedly, I shall die this day. When I turn round to return, I see bandits and vicious beasts coming closer and closer. If I try to run toward the south or north, I see vicious beasts and poisonous insects vie with each other to attack me. If I seek the path to the west, I will certainly fall into one of the two rivers of water and fire.
  
  當時惶怖�復�言。�自�念。我今迴亦死��亦死�去亦死。一種�勉死者�我寧尋此���而去。既有此��必應�度。
  
  His horror at this moment is beyond expression. So he thinks to himself, "If I turn back now, I shall die; if I stay, I shall die; if I go forward, I shall die, too. Since I cannot escape death in any way, I would rather follow this path. Because there is a path, it must be possible to cross the rivers."
  
  作此念時��岸忽�人勧�。�者但決定尋此�行�必無死難�若��死。�西岸上有人喚言。�一心正念直來�我能護��衆��墮於水�難。此人既�此�彼喚��自正當身心�決定尋�直進��生疑怯退心。
  
  When this thought occurs to him, he suddenly hears a voice from the eastern bank urging him, "Take this path with firm resolution. There is no danger of death. If you stay there, you will die." Again, he hears another voice from the western bank calling to him, "Come at once single-heartedly with right mindfulness. I will protect you. Do not fear that you may fall into the calamities of water or fire." Since the traveler hears this voice urging him from the bank and the calling from the other, he resolutely, body and soul, takes the path and proceeds at once without doubt or apprehension.
  
  或行一分二分��岸群賊等喚言。�者迴來�此�嶮惡�得��必死�疑�我等衆無惡心相�。此人雖�喚�亦�迴顧一心直進念�而行�須臾�到西岸永離諸難�善�相見慶樂無已。
  
  As he takes a step or two, he hears the voices of the bandits on the eastern bank, "Come back! That path is treacherous. You cannot cross it. Undoubtedly, you are sure to die. We have no evil intentions in pursuing you." Though hearing the calling voices, this person does not even look back. As he proceeds straight on this path with singleness of heart, he, in no time, reaches the western bank and is now free from all danger. There he meets his good friend, and his joy knows no end.

• sanath

  5 Mar 08, 01:46

  EXPLANATION OF
  THE TWO RIVERS AND THE WHITE PATH

  [1] Shan-tao's own explanation:

  此是喩也次�喩者言�岸者�喩此娑婆之�宅也言西岸者�喩極楽�国也
  
  The meaning of the parable is as follows. 'The eastern bank' is the burning house of this Saha world. 'The western bank' is the Treasure Country of Utmost Bliss.
  
  言群賊悪��親者�喩衆生六根六識六塵五陰四大也
  
  'Bandits and vicious beasts calling with feigned friendship' refer to sentient beings' six sense-organs, six consciousnesses, six sense-bases, five aggregates, and four elements.
  
  言無人空迥沢者�喩常�悪��値真善知識也
  
  'The open plain where there is no one to be found' refers to always mixing with evil friends without having a chance to meet a true good teacher.
  
  言水�二河者�喩衆生貪愛如水瞋憎如�也
  
  'The two rivers of water and fire' describes sentient beings' greed and lust which are like water and their anger and hatred which are like fire.
  
  言中間白�四五寸者�喩衆生貪瞋煩悩中能生清浄願往生心也乃由貪瞋強故�喩如水�善心微故喩如白�
  
  'The white path in the middle, four or five inches wide' shows that a pure aspiration for birth arises from within sentient beings' evil passions of greed and anger. Since greed and anger are intense, they are compared to the water and fire. Since a good mind is faint, it is compared to a white path.
  
  �水波常湿�者�喩愛心常起能染汚善心也��炎常焼�者�喩瞋嫌之心能焼功徳之法財也
  
  Further, 'waves always splash the path' describes the greed which constantly arises and defiles one's good mind. 'Flames always burn the path' shows that anger and hatred burn the Dharma-treasure of virtue.
  
  言人行�上直�西者�喩廻諸行業直�西方也言�岸�人声勧�尋�直西進者�喩釈迦已滅後人�見由有教法�尋�喩之如声也
  
  'This man at once takes the path westward' shows that he, at once, proceeds westward by leaving behind various practices. 'Hearing a voice from the eastern bank urging him to proceed, he immediately takes the path to the west' shows that even though Shakyamuni has already passsed away and people can no longer see him, his teaching still exists and can be followed; the teaching is compared to a voice.
  
  言或行一分二分群賊等喚廻者�喩別解別行悪見人等妄説見解迭相惑乱�自造罪退失也
  
  'As he takes a step or two, bandits call him to return' shows that people of different understandings, different practices and wrong views confuse him with their false views, saying, "You will commit evil karma and fall back from the Path."
  
  言西岸上有人喚者�喩弥陀願�也
  
  'There is a man on the western bank calling to him' refers to the purport of Amida's Vow.
  
  言須臾到西岸善�相見喜者�喩衆生久沈生死曠劫淪廻迷倒自�無由解脱仰蒙釈迦発�指�西方�藉弥陀悲心招喚
  
  "In no time he reaches the western bank and rejoices at seeing his good friend" shows that the sentient beings who have long been sinking in the state of birth-and-death, transmigrating from the eternal past and being deluded and bound by their own karma, from which they cannot set themselves free, are now urged by Shakyamuni to proceed to the west - they are also summoned by Amida's Compassion.
  
  今信順二尊之��顧水�二河念念無�乗彼願力之��命已後得生彼国与�相見慶喜何極也
  
  Faithfully following the wishes of the two sages, they take the path of Vow-Power with constant mindfulness while unafraid of the two rivers of water and fire; after their death, they will be born in his land, where they will see the Buddha with boundless joy.

  (Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra, Section on the Non-meditative Good)

• sanath

  5 Mar 08, 01:47

  [2] Shinran's explanation:

  真知二河譬喩中言白�四五寸者白�者白之言対黒也白者�是�択摂�之白業往相回�之浄業也
  
  Truly we realize that, in the parable of the two rivers, 'the White Path four or five inches wide' has the following meaning: 'white' in 'the white path' is contrasted to 'black'; 'white' refers to the white act selected and adopted [in the Vow], that is, the Pure Karmic Act endowed to us for our Going forth.
  
  黒者�是無明煩悩之黒業二乗人天之雑善也
  
  'Black' refers to the black [evil] actions of our ignorance and evil passions and also to the miscellaneous good deeds done by the followers of the Two Vehicles, namely humans and gods.
  
  �之言対路�者則是本願一実之直�大般涅槃無上之大�也路者則是二乗三乗万善諸行之�路也
  
  'Path' is contrasted to 'lane'; the Path refers to the straight path of truth of the Primal Vow - the supreme Great Path leading to the Great and Complete Nirvana. 'Lanes' refer to small passages of the teachings of the Two Vehicles and Three Vehicles and of myriad good deeds and various practices.
  
  言四五寸者喩衆生四大五陰也　言能生清浄願心者�得金剛真心也本願力回�大信心海故��破壊喩之如金剛也
  
  'Four or five inches wide' refers to the four elements and the five aggregates that constitute sentient beings. 'A pure aspiration for birth arises' means attainment of the Diamond-hard True Faith; since it is the ocean of Great Faith endowed by the Primal Vow-Power, it is indestructible; hence, it is compared to diamond.

  (Kyogyoshinsho, Chapter on True Faith, 46)

• cycle

  5 Mar 08, 20:52

  Naruhodo. Tks.

• goldevil

  7 Mar 08, 21:09

  may everyone find the correct path .

   

• Exomerian

  25 May 08, 05:41

  thanks for this great gift.  It's very interesting and I would love to download a better copy of the picture? Where can I do that. Please advise.

  Thank you so much

• sanath

  25 May 08, 22:28

  Hello Exomerian,

  if you'd like my friend in Singapore might still have a copy or two of a poster so we could send on to you. Please give me a PM if you'd like it.

  Gassho

• Exomerian

  15 Jul 08, 21:42

  Hi Gassho,

   

  I'd like to get the poster and wrote you an email but haven't  received any replies. Could you please send me the poster I'll transfer the delivery fee.

   

  thanks in advance

  exomerian

• sanath

  22 Jul 08, 22:32

  Hi,

  unfortunately, we already gave out the posters so we have no more left on our side. My apologies, but because you did not respond for a long time so we gave out all since we only had a few. The posters were printed in China and then hand-delivered to Taiwan where they sent us a few. It's difficult to get the posters directly from China since such material cannot be sent out by post to foreign countries.

  Gassho

• Exomerian

  19 Aug 08, 05:46

  oh that's a pity. I would love to have one copy. What should I do? Do you know where I can still ask for one? Please advise. I'm so unhappy!!!

   

  Best regards

  Merian