Moreover, for the sake of all the people who wish to attain a rebirth, I will now give these cultivators an analogy to protect their faith.
They will be protected from the disasters of deviant evil views.
What is the analogy?
For example, there is a man who desires to travel to the west for hundreds of thousand miles.
Suddenly, in the middle of the journey he comes upon two rivers.
In the south is the fire river while in the north is the water river.
The width of each river is about a hundred steps but the depth is unfathomable.
They extend to the infinity in the north and south.
In the middle of the fire and water there is a white path which measures about four to five inches.
This path extends from the eastern shore to the western shore at a distance of a hundred steps.
The water from the wavy river often wets the path while the fire with its flames also burns up the path.
The water and fire take turns to wet and burn the path, unceasingly.
This man arrives at the remote wilderness where no one can be seen.
But there are the gangs of robbers and ferocious animals which chase after him, competing to kill him when they found that he is alone.
The man is so frightened that he runs to the west straight away.
Suddenly he comes upon this great river and he is thus thinking,
‘I cannot see the shore of this river from the north to the south.
The white path in the middle is extremely narrow.
Even though the two shores are quite near but how am I going to travel on it?
Today I will surely die.
There is no doubt about this.’
As he is turning back, he sees the gangs of robbers and wild animals are approaching him, getting closer and closer.
He wishes to escape them by travelling to the north south directions with the evil animals and poisonous insects compete to attack him.
He wishes to runs to the west following the path, but he is hesitating as he is afraid to fall into the two rivers of water and fire.
At that moment his frights are unspeakable.
He is thus thinking,
‘If I were to turn back, I will die.
If I stay put, I will also die.
If I walk on, I will also die.
Anyhow, I will die too.
I have decided to travel on this path and walk on.
Since there is the path, I might have a chance to cross over.’
After thinking thus, in the eastern shore someone is encouraging him to walk on,
‘Humane One, be resolute to travel on this path.
You will be free from the disaster of death.
If you stay put you will die here.’
Then in the western shore he hears a voice calling out to him,
‘You simply walk on single-mindedly with right mindfulness.
I am able to protect you.
Do not be afraid that you will fall into the disaster of fire and water.’
On hearing this exhortation and the call, this man brings forth the mindfulness in body and mind.
He decides to walk on without doubts, frights or a retreating mind.
After walking one or two steps, he hears the gangs of robbers in the eastern shore shouting at him,
‘Humane One, do come back.
This road is dangerous and full of disasters.
There is no doubt you will fall to your death.
We are not unkind and we will not harm you, anyway.’
On hearing this, he does not turn back but continues to walk on the white path singlemindedly, with mindfulness.
After a short while he arrives at the western shore.
He is forever free from all disasters.
He meets with all his good friends and they rejoice greatly.
This is the analogy.
Next, we will explain the analogy. The eastern shore refers to this Saha world, the house which is on fire.
The Western shore is the analogy of the Jewel Land of Ultimate Bliss.
The gangs of robbers and ferocious animals who pretended to be our friends are the analogies of the six roots of living beings, the six consciousness, the six dusts, the five skandhas and the four elements.
A remote wilderness refers to the situation when we often follow the evil friends, that we have not met with the genuine good advisers.
The two rivers of fire and water refer to the greedy loving desire of living beings which resembles the water, the anger and hatred that resemble the fire.
The white path in the middle of the rivers which is about four to five inches carries the meaning that in the midst of living beings’ greed and loving attachment that resemble the water, the anger and hatred that resemble the fire, the pure vows of attaining a rebirth can come forth.
As the greed and hatred are so strong they resemble the water and fire.
As the mind of goodness is so little the white path is the analogy.
Moreover, the water waves often wet the path shows that we often give rise to a mind of loving desire.
This will defile our good mind.
The fire often burns the path is the analogy that we often dwell in a mind of anger and complaints which will burn up the merits and virtues of our Dharma Wealth.
Saying the man who walks straight on the path to the west is the analogy of the transference of all our karmas in practice to the west.
Hearing the voice of someone in the eastern shore who exhorts us to follow the path to travel to the west is the analogy of Sakaymuni Buddha who has entered still extinction.
We cannot see the Buddha but his Dharma teaching is still dwelling in the world.
This is the analogy of his voice.
The taking of one step or two steps, the calls of the gangs of robbers and others are the analogies of other explanation, other practices of men with evil views.
They falsely teach their views and understanding to confuse the practitioners who end up committing the offences and retreat from their practice.
The man in the western shore who calls out is the analogy of Amitabha Buddha’s Vows and his wishes to rescue us.
Saying that we will arrive at the Western Shore in a short while and our joys to see our good friends is the analogy that living beings have been drown in the seas of birth and death for too long.
Throughout the long kalpas they have sunken in the seas of transmigration because they are bound in their inverted thoughts and upside-down views.
There is no way for them to attain liberation.
Now by relying on Sakyamuni Buddha’s exhortation to point out to us the Western Land, and the calls of the Compassionate Amitabha Buddha, we believe and have faith in the wish of the two Honoured Ones.
We no longer care about the rivers of water and fire as in every mindfulness we will rely solely on the path, that is the strength of Vows of Amitabha Buddha.
After passing away we will be born in that Land to see the Buddha.
What a great joy it would be for us!
Besides all the cultivators will keep this teaching in mind, visualizing this teaching while they are walking, standing, sitting or lying down, while they are conducting themselves in the three karmas of body, mouth and mind, without considering the time, season, days or nights.
So, this is known as the mind of transference, the mind of bringing forth the vows.
Moreover, those who have transferred the merits to be born in that Land will again bring forth the mind of Great Compassion after attaining a rebirth in that Land.
They will come back to the realm of birth and death to teach and transform all living beings.
This is also known as transference.
As we are replete with the three minds, all our practices can be accomplished.
Since our vows and practices are accomplished, it is impossible for us not to attain a rebirth.
Moreover, these three minds can also be used to explain the meaning of wholesomeness in Samadhi.
We should thus know.
The Four Primal Teachings on Contemplation Sutra by Great Master Shandao- An extract of Chapter 4 The Mixed Practices –
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