Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
Metaphor 30: Rocks Carried on a Ship
Suppose some rocks are to be shipped across the sea. As long as the ship is large and sturdy, it can carry heavy goods, even when they weigh millions of tons. All the stones on board, giant or small, can cross the sea and reach the other shore.
Without such a big carrier, however, even a small piece of rock will sink to the bottom of the sea if it is dropped into the water.
What does this metaphor tell us? We sentient beings are all burdened with afflictions and karmic offenses. These burdens, heavy or light, are like stones.
Though they vary in severity, our karmic burdens bind us to the cycles of the Three Domains and the Six Realms. If we have the power of Amitabha Buddha to rely upon, we will be absolved of our offenses, whether serious or minor. Otherwise, we will continue to be reincarnated without emancipation, from not just our serious karmic sins, but even the lighter ones.
So, like the stones on board a ship, whatever their size, we will be carried across to the other shore.
30. 石頭乘船喻
就好像石頭乘船過海,只要有大船可以依靠,不管是大石頭、小石頭,哪怕是幾千萬噸的石頭,都可以到達彼岸;如果沒有大船的話,即使一顆小小的石頭,放到水面上也會很自然地沉下去。
這比喻什麼?我們眾生都有煩惱、罪業,這些煩惱、罪業雖各有輕重,好像石頭有大有小,但只要有罪,就必定在三界六道輪迴。如果有佛力讓我們依靠,不管重罪、輕罪,都能夠解脫;如果沒有佛力讓我們依靠,不僅重罪不能解脫,輕罪也同樣不能解脫,依然都要沉淪。所以,如大、小石頭乘船,自然能到彼岸。
Namo Amituofo!
