The Raft: Crossing over to Nirvana (sutra)

Ven. Nyanaponika Thera (trans.), "The Discourse on the Snake Simile," Alagaddupama Sutra (MN 22); Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Crystal Quintero (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

13. "Meditators, I'll show the Dharma's similarity to a raft: Its purpose is to cross over, not to cling to.

"Listen well, meditators, and pay close attention."

— "Yes, venerable sir," they replied, and the [Buddha] said:
 

"Suppose, meditators, there is a person journeying on a road who sees a vast expanse of water. This shore is dangerous and fearful.

• [NOTE: This "vast expanse of water" (samsara) is also referred to as a "flood" (ogha) in constant turmoil.]

"The further shore is safe and free from danger. But there is no boat for crossing over nor is there a bridge for going over from this side to that.

"So the person thinks: 'This is a vast expanse of water! This shore is dangerous and fearful. The further shore is safe and free of danger. There is no boat here for crossing over, nor a bridge for going over from this side to that.

"But what if I were to gather reeds, sticks, branches, and vines and bind them into a raft?' Then that person collects reeds, sticks, branches, and vines and binds them into a raft.

• The Buddha's "37 Requisites of Enlightenment"

"Using this raft, paddling vigorously with hands and feet, one safely crosses over to the further shore.
 

The Buddha's Ancient Path (Ven. Piyadassi)

"Having crossed over and arrived safely at the further shore, one thinks, 'Indeed, this raft has been very helpful to me! Carried by it, paddling vigorously with hands and feet, I made it safely across to the further shore!

"'Should I not, therefore, hoist this raft upon my head or carry it on my shoulders and go where I like?'
 

"O meditators, what do you think about this?

"Is a person behaving in this way doing what should be done with a raft?"

— "No, venerable sir!"

"Then, meditators, how would one do what should be done with a raft [that has served its purpose]?

"Here [in this Teaching], meditators, having made it across and arrived safely at the further shore, the person thinks, 'Indeed, this raft has been very helpful to me!

"'Carried by it, paddling vigorously with hands and feet, I made it safely across to the further shore. Therefore, should I not strand it on dry land or push it off to float in the water then go as I please?'

"By behaving in this way, meditators, that person would do what should be done with a raft [that has served its purpose].

"In the same way, meditators, have I shown the Dharma's similarity to a raft: It is for crossing over not for being clung to.

14. "O meditators, you who understand the Dharma's similarity to a raft, you should let go even of [good] teachings.* How much more of harmful ones! More

COMMENTARY

The Buddha-to-come, the Friend

*"The Dharma" here refers to serenity-and-insight (samatha-vipassana). The Buddha, indeed, enjoins us to let go of clinging-and-attachment (chanda-raga) regarding serenity-and-insight.
 

Where, then, has the Buddha enjoined the abandonment of clinging and attachment in the case of serenity? He did so in the following saying:

"Thus, Udayi, do I teach the abandoning even of the [exalted] sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Udaayi, do you see any fetter, fine or coarse, that I did not tell you to discard?" (MN 66).

In the case of insight, the abandoning was enjoined by the Buddha as follows: "And to that view thus purified and cleansed, you should not be attached, should not be enamored of it, should not treasure it."

But here, in this present text, he enjoins the abandoning of clinging and attachment concerning both (serenity and insight), by saying: "You should let go even of (good) teachings; how much more of false ones!"

The meaning is: "I teach, O meditators, the abandoning of clinging and attachment even for such peaceful and sublime states (as serenity and insight) -- all the more so in regard to that ignoble, low, contemptible, coarse and impure thing in which foolish Arittha fails to see harm, saying that clinging and attachment for the five objects of the senses is not necessarily an obstruction to enlightenment and liberation!

"But you, O meditators, unlike Arittha, should avoid flinging soil and trash into this dispensation (Buddhism)!" By this admonition, the Buddha again rebukes foolish Arittha.