觀無量壽佛經疏 4.25

4.25

次合喻者。言東岸者，即喻此娑婆之火宅也。言西岸者，即喻極樂寶國也。言群賊惡獸詐親者，即喻眾生六根六識六塵、五陰四大也。言無人空逈澤者，即喻常隨惡友不值真善知識也。言水火二河者，即喻眾生貪愛如水，瞋憎如火也。言中間白道四五寸者，即喻眾生貪瞋煩惱中能生清淨願往生心也。乃由貪瞋強故，即喻如水火。善心微故，喻如白道。又水波常濕道者，即喻愛心常起，能染污善心也。又火焰常燒道者，即喻瞋嫌之心，能燒功德之法財也。言人行道上直向西者，即喻迴諸行業直向西方也。言東岸聞人聲勸遣尋道直西進者，即喻釋迦已滅後人不見，由有教法可尋，即喻之如聲也。言或行一分二分群賊等喚迴者，即喻別解別行惡見人等，妄說見解迭相惑亂，及自造罪退失也。言西岸上有人喚者，即喻彌陀願意也。言須臾到西岸善友相見喜者，即喻眾生久沈生死，曠劫淪迴迷倒自纏，無由解脫。仰蒙釋迦發遣指向西方，又藉彌陀悲心招喚。今信順二尊之意，不顧水火二河，念念無遺，乘彼願力之道，捨命已後得生彼國，與佛相見，慶喜何極也。

Next, applying the parable: 'the eastern bank' is an analogy for the burning house of this Sahā world. 'The western bank' is an analogy for the jeweled land of Sukhāvatī. 'The bandits and vicious beasts falsely professing friendship' are an analogy for sentient beings' six sense faculties, six consciousnesses, six dusts, five aggregates, and four great elements. 'The desolate wilderness with no people' is an analogy for constantly following bad friends and never meeting a true good spiritual friend. 'The two rivers of water and fire' are an analogy for sentient beings' greed and love being like water, and their anger and hatred being like fire. 'The white path in the middle, four or five inches wide,' is an analogy for sentient beings' ability to give rise to a pure aspiration for rebirth from within the afflictions of greed and anger. Because greed and anger are strong, they are compared to water and fire; because the good mind is slight, it is compared to the white path. Furthermore, 'the waves of water constantly drenching the path' is an analogy for thoughts of desire constantly arising and defiling the good mind. 'The flames of fire constantly scorching the path' is an analogy for thoughts of anger and resentment burning the Dharma-wealth of merit. 'The person walking on the path straight toward the west' is an analogy for directing all practices straight toward the west. 'Hearing a person's voice on the eastern bank encouraging and dispatching him to follow the path straight to the west' is an analogy for Śākyamuni having already entered nirvāṇa so that later people cannot see him, yet because his teachings remain to be followed, this is compared to the voice. 'After taking one or two steps, the bandits calling him back' is an analogy for persons of distinct understandings, distinct practices, and evil views falsely asserting their opinions to confuse one another, and bringing about their own sins and falling into retrogression. 'Someone on the western bank calling out' is an analogy for the intent of Amitābha's vow. 'In an instant reaching the western bank, meeting good friends, and rejoicing' is an analogy for sentient beings having long sunk in birth-and-death, for kalpas without beginning caught in cyclic existence, deluded, upside down, and tangling themselves, with no means of liberation. Reverently receiving Śākyamuni's dispatch directing them to the west, and relying on Amitābha's compassionate calling, they now faithfully accord with the intention of the two Honoured Ones, disregarding the two rivers of water and fire, thought after thought without omission, mounting the path of the power of that vow; after casting off this life, they attain rebirth in that land, meet the Buddha, and their rejoicing knows no bounds.