Greetings to all..

I ran across this somewhere in my travels and wrote it down. I've always found it to be a perfect metaphor for the process of life as we move forward toward the light.


The Mahayanas tell the story of a sage
who once stood on a riverbank
looking across at the opposite shore.
Although the far side
was but dimly visible
though the river mists,
he could see that it was
unspeakably beautiful.
The hills were green
and the trees were all in blossom.

So he said to himself,
"I want to go there."
There was a raft tied
at the river's edge.
He untied the raft
and began to paddle
toward the distant shore.

The journey was long as hazardous
for the currents in midstream were swift.
The raging rapids tossed and turned the raft,
and he had to work with all his strength
to maintain his balance.
From the center of the river
both shores were lost from view,
and there were times when he was not sure
which way he was drifting.
But he continued paddling
and in due time
he reached the far shore.

He got out of the raft and said,
"Ah, at last I am here.
It was a perilous journey
but now I have reached nirvana."
He looked about him.
The hills were green
and the trees were all in blossom.

Then he turned around and looked back.
He could not see the opposite shore
whence he came.
Nor was there any river to be seen.
And there was no raft.


-ITL-

Um the poem is about practicing the middle path until you reach enlightenment. Nirvana isn't a heaven, it is extinction from continued existence.

"The other shore" is a phrase to refer to enlightenment.

When he turned back and saw no opposite shore whence he came, is because Samara IS nirvana. You don't go to nirvana, you don't go anywhere.

The raft is considered the practice of the path. The ten perfections and the eighthfold path. Once you are enlightened, there really is no need for the perfections nor the practice of the path.

Where exactly did I say or mention the term "heaven"?

Not in that post.

I said that I saw the poem as a metaphor for life. Try a little reading comprehension in the future.

-ITL-

Everyone's life? All life? I don't see how it is a metaphor for life.

And you said, "the light" which I assumed you were implying heaven. But since you objected then what is the light?

No, my life. I spoke in first person. Did I say "everyone's life"?

Once again, I implore you to try more reading comprehension.

-ITL-

You didn't say "my life" it is a statement without a subject. Your next line uses the word "we" which I don't think you are a multiple personality person but maybe you are including all your alter identities instead of including other people.

You can't comprehend if the writer is not clear with word usage nor implied subject.

I had you on my Ignore list, but I when I saw your reply here, I thought that maybe...maybe you had something intelligent so say..

My mistake.

You've attacked me in this thread for no reason whatsoever.

Nothing I said was offensive or problematic.

I can only conclude that you're a troll, plain and simple.

This is a beautiful poem that has a really deep meaning to me. I posted it to share the wisdom of Buddhist thought with others. Instead of looking at the wisdom of the poem, you've turned this into a personal attack.

I'm re-adding you to my Ignore List.

Have fun trolling here.

-ITL-

The process of life.
Process; noun1 series of operations performed on something, during manufacture.2 a series of stages passed through, resulting in development or transformation. 3 an operation or procedure: 'a slow process'
verb 1 to put through the required process; to deal with appropriately. 2 to prepare (agricultural produce) for marketing. 2 to analyse (data) by computer- in the process of... in the course of. From Latin 'processus', progression.
Just to be better equipped

Towards the light, i am not equipped but the light fules me.
the light of a candle, the light of a soul, the light of awareness, the light of life, the light of the sun, the light of enlightenment its self of understanding and of consciousness.

The river mists are about clear vision hampered by external forces such as nature, are they required?

Unspeakably, because it does not need to say or be spoken anything about, good metaphor for nirvana.

He is still aware of himself, he has not yet reached the beauty?
Or he must search himself to find it.

The raft that will hold him is God, tied waiting and ready to climb aboard.

He paddled, he did not rush, he was not hampered but by himself, held above the waters.

The journey was 'long and hazardous' so the hazard was the length,
could mean to make safe,
we need just be there where we need not take a journey at all.
Just be.

Time is one thing swift,
do away with time do away with the rush to be exactly where we always are.

The raging rapids that enlist fear is the speed of rushing life.
No keeping up, the mind tosses and turns over God only in the fear of time.
The raft will always float,
we may fall off.

His strength is his faith in the raft and himself over what the world stream river current occurs around about him.

Balance is not just perpetual motion,
it is trial, but over ones senses first.
We do not need to trust our senses when we trust the raft as ourself.

Center of the river, center of the universe.
When truely journeying you need not past or future or either shore.
Balance achieved.
Without time.

Time he was not sure.

But driffting without time and place is still self. Left with or found.

With faith there is more, you shall discover distant only by self unconquered but not seperate shore.

He left the raft behind and God some may have said.
As he landed and arrived as part of the land found God was now in him, him now in God, Now him as God found and founded.

Nirvana only at the end of journeying?

He was green, he was in blossom.

He who dares look back once found, might be considered a coward,
might be considered doubtfull,
but might as well be considered champion overlooking a battlefield.
But not in need of validation by this ascance backwards glance.

He looked back, he may lose his nirvana? But not necessarily his light.

He could not see anything besides,
he had not need for sight or maybe reflection, truely being found means looking in no more mirrors.

There was no time, no sight, no God.
There was him as God
or else alone
but for the blossom.

Loved it, thank you for sharing.