Crossing over to Nirvana (sutra)

Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, Kalyani (eds.), Asivisa Sutra: "Discourse on the Vipers" (SN 35.197, PTS: S iv 172 CDB ii 1237 (CDB 35.238) based on Ven. Thanissaro (trans.), Wisdom Quarterly

A shaft of light pierces Antelope Canyon limestone corridor (onlyinyourstate.com).

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Honor, Great Teacher, for leading us to freedom!

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta's Grove. There he addressed the monastics, "Meditators, suppose there were four vipers of searing heat and horrible venom, and a person would come along — desiring life, desiring to avoid death, desiring happiness, desiring to avoid pain — and people would warn:

"'There are four vipers of searing heat and horrible venom for which you are responsible! Time after time they must be lifted up, bathed, fed, and put to rest. If any one of these vipers ever gets angry with you, you will die or feel suffering like death. Now do as you see fit.'

"That person — fearing these four vipers of searing heat and horrible venom — would flee this way or that. And people would say, 'There are five enemy executioners chasing on your heels [thinking,] "Wherever we see this person, we shall kill this person on that very spot!' "Do as you see fit."

No matter what, it's not real. (Mercury News)

"The person — fearing these four vipers of searing heat and horrible venom, fearing the five enemy executioners — would flee this way or that. And people would say, 'There is a sixth executioner traveling along with them, chasing right on your heels with upraised sword [thinking,] "Wherever I see this person, I shall kill this person on that very spot." Do as you see fit.'

"The person — fearing the four vipers of searing heat and horrible venom, fearing the five enemy executioners, fearing the executioner with upraised sword — would flee this way or that. Then that person would see an empty village, every house there abandoned, empty, and void when entered. Whatever pot grabbed would be abandoned, empty, and void.

"People would say, 'Right now, village-plundering bandits are entering this empty village! Do as you see fit.'

"The person — fearing the four vipers of searing heat and horrible venom, fearing the five enemy executioners, fearing the sixth executioner with upraised sword, fearing the village-plundering bandits — would flee this way or that only to find a great expanse of water, with the near shore full of danger and risk, the further shore secure and free of risk. But with neither a ferryboat nor a bridge going from this shore to the other, that person would be stranded here.

By effort I will cross over to the further shore.

"The thought might occur, 'Here is this great expanse of water, with the near shore full of danger and risk, the further shore secure and free from risk, but with neither a ferryboat nor a bridge going from here to there, I am stranded. What then if I were to gather branches, grass, twigs, and leaves -- and what if by binding them together I were to fashion a raft and cross over to the safety of the further shore using it, making every effort with my hands and feet?'

"Then that person -- having gathered branches, grass, twigs, and leaves, having bound them together to fashion a raft -- would cross over to safety on the further shore using the raft, making every effort with hands and feet. Crossing over, having gone to the further shore, that person would stand on the safety of the high ground, a Brahmin.

Meaning

So the Buddha was giving an extended simile, an allegory? (Abhayagiri Monastery, California)

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"Meditators, this simile conveys a meaning: 'The four vipers of searing heat and horrible venom' stand for the Four Great Elements: [the material characteristics of solidity, fluidity, temperature, and motion known as] earth, water, fire, and wind  [as directly perceived in Four Elements Meditation as taught by Pa Auk Sayadaw].

"'The five enemy executioners' stand for the Five Aggregates clung to as self: form clung to as self, feelings clung to as self, perceptions clung to as self, formations clung to as self, and consciousness clung to as self.

"'The sixth executioner with upraised sword' stands for passionate delight.

"'The empty village' stands for the six internal sense bases. If a wise, competent, discerning person examines them from the point of view of the eye, they appear abandoned, empty, and void. If examined from the point of view of the ear... nose... tongue... body... or mind, they appear abandoned, empty, and void.

"'The village-plundering bandits' stand for the six external sense bases -- the eye by pleasing and displeasing sights (forms), the ear beset by sounds, the nose beset by scents, the tongue beset by flavors, the body beset by sensations, the mind beset by pleasing and displeasing impressions.

This place is abandoned, empty, and deserted.

"'The great expanse of water' stands for the four floods: the flood of sensuality, becoming, views, and ignorance.

"'The near shore full of danger and risk' stands for self-view (sakkaya-ditthi).

"'The further shore secure and free of risk' stands for nirvana (freedom, liberation).

"'The raft' stands for this Ennobling Eightfold Path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

"'Making an effort with hands and feet' stands for the arousing of active persistence in practice.

"'Crossing over and gone beyond to the further shore, one would stand on the safety of high ground, a Brahmin' stands for the fully enlightened person (arhat)."

• See also The Snake Simile (MN 22)