觀無量壽佛經疏 4.25

4.25

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.