this post has been archived.
I'll only post a portion but the Majjhima is part of the Pali Canon
The structure is like this:
This particular one is one of Five texts of the Sutta Pitaka. The first time I heard about the Simile of the Raft I really enjoyed it. Enjoy!
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"Bhikkhus, a certain son of a clansman learns the prose sections, prose and verse sections, the answers and exlanation expositions, stanzas, solmn utterances, sayings, birth stories, wonderful things, a series of questions and answers. He thoroughly learns the Teaching and examines the meanings with wisdom and is convinced of the Teaching. He does not learn the Teaching to find fault with it, nor does he learn it for the purpose of liberation through hearsay. He experiences the meanings. He has taken hold of the Teaching correctly, and it leads for his happiness for a long time. It is because of the correct grasp of the Teaching. Like a man wandering in search of a snake who comes to a huge snake and takes hold of it with a forked stick or hold it by the neck. It may coil round the man's hand or foot or any other limb small or large, yet he would not come to death or deadly suffering, because of the correct hold of the snake. In the same manner, a certain son of a clansman learns the prose sections, prose and verse sections, the answers and exlanation expositions, stanzas, solmn utterances, sayings, birth stories, wonderful things, a series of questions and answers. He thoroughly learns the Teaching and examines the meanings with wisdom and is convinced of the Teaching. He does not learn the Teaching to find fault with it, nor does he learn it for the purpose of liberation through hearsay. He experiences the meanings. He has taken hold of the Teaching correctly, and it leads for his happiness for a long time. This is because of the correct grasp of the Teaching.
"Bhikkhus, this Teaching is for giving up not for taking hold of. Listen carefully: A man on a journey comes to a large stretch of water, with the near shore dangerous and fearful, the far shore peaceful and without fear. But there is no ship or bridge to cross over from the near shore to the far. So he thinks: 'What if I build a raft by collecting grass, sticks, branches and creepers.' So he builds a raft collecting grass sticks branches and creepers, and making effort with hands and feet reaches the far shore safely. Then the man who has crossed over thinks: 'This raft was of great service to me, I safely crossed over to the other shore by boarding it and putting forth effort with my hands and feet. What if I were to balance it on my head or haul it on my back and go where I like.' Bhikkhus, is he doing the right thing if he does so with the raft?"
"No, venerable sir."
"By doing what, would he be doing the right thing with the raft? Bhikkhus, the man who has crossed over might think thus: 'This raft was of great service to me, I safely crossed over to the other shore by boarding it and putting forth effort with my hands and feet. What if I pulled it up to dry ground, or sink it in the water and go where I like?' A man doing that would be doing the right thing. Just so, bhikkhus, my Teaching is comparable to a raft for the purpose of crossing over and not for getting hold of. If you should give up even the Teaching which is wholesome, what about that which is not wholesome?
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and another translation of the same portion:
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"Monks, I will teach you the Dhamma compared to a raft, for the purpose of crossing over, not for the purpose of holding onto. Listen & pay close attention. I will speak."
"As you say, lord," the monks responded to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said: "Suppose a man were traveling along a path. He would see a great expanse of water, with the near shore dubious & risky, the further shore secure & free from risk, but with neither a ferryboat nor a bridge going from this shore to the other. The thought would occur to him, 'Here is this great expanse of water, with the near shore dubious & risky, the further shore secure & free from risk, but with neither a ferryboat nor a bridge going from this shore to the other. What if I were to gather grass, twigs, branches, & leaves and, having bound them together to make a raft, were to cross over to safety on the other shore in dependence on the raft, making an effort with my hands & feet?' Then the man, having gathered grass, twigs, branches, & leaves, having bound them together to make a raft, would cross over to safety on the other shore in dependence on the raft, making an effort with his hands & feet. 7 Having crossed over to the further shore, he might think, 'How useful this raft has been to me! For it was in dependence on this raft that, making an effort with my hands & feet, I have crossed over to safety on the further shore. Why don't I, having hoisted it on my head or carrying on my back, go wherever I like?' What do you think, monks: Would the man, in doing that, be doing what should be done with the raft?"
"No, lord."
"And what should the man do in order to be doing what should be done with the raft? There is the case where the man, having crossed over, would think, 'How useful this raft has been to me! For it was in dependence on this raft that, making an effort with my hands & feet, I have crossed over to safety on the further shore. Why don't I, having dragged it on dry land or sinking it in the water, go wherever I like?' In doing this, he would be doing what should be done with the raft. In the same way, monks, I have taught the Dhamma compared to a raft, for the purpose of crossing over, not for the purpose of holding onto. Understanding the Dhamma as taught compared to a raft, you should let go even of Dhammas, to say nothing of non-Dhammas."
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The structure is like this:
Pali Canon
- Vinaya Pitaka
- Sutta Pitaka
- Ahbidhamma Pitaka
This particular one is one of Five texts of the Sutta Pitaka. The first time I heard about the Simile of the Raft I really enjoyed it. Enjoy!
----------------
...
"Bhikkhus, a certain son of a clansman learns the prose sections, prose and verse sections, the answers and exlanation expositions, stanzas, solmn utterances, sayings, birth stories, wonderful things, a series of questions and answers. He thoroughly learns the Teaching and examines the meanings with wisdom and is convinced of the Teaching. He does not learn the Teaching to find fault with it, nor does he learn it for the purpose of liberation through hearsay. He experiences the meanings. He has taken hold of the Teaching correctly, and it leads for his happiness for a long time. It is because of the correct grasp of the Teaching. Like a man wandering in search of a snake who comes to a huge snake and takes hold of it with a forked stick or hold it by the neck. It may coil round the man's hand or foot or any other limb small or large, yet he would not come to death or deadly suffering, because of the correct hold of the snake. In the same manner, a certain son of a clansman learns the prose sections, prose and verse sections, the answers and exlanation expositions, stanzas, solmn utterances, sayings, birth stories, wonderful things, a series of questions and answers. He thoroughly learns the Teaching and examines the meanings with wisdom and is convinced of the Teaching. He does not learn the Teaching to find fault with it, nor does he learn it for the purpose of liberation through hearsay. He experiences the meanings. He has taken hold of the Teaching correctly, and it leads for his happiness for a long time. This is because of the correct grasp of the Teaching.
"Bhikkhus, this Teaching is for giving up not for taking hold of. Listen carefully: A man on a journey comes to a large stretch of water, with the near shore dangerous and fearful, the far shore peaceful and without fear. But there is no ship or bridge to cross over from the near shore to the far. So he thinks: 'What if I build a raft by collecting grass, sticks, branches and creepers.' So he builds a raft collecting grass sticks branches and creepers, and making effort with hands and feet reaches the far shore safely. Then the man who has crossed over thinks: 'This raft was of great service to me, I safely crossed over to the other shore by boarding it and putting forth effort with my hands and feet. What if I were to balance it on my head or haul it on my back and go where I like.' Bhikkhus, is he doing the right thing if he does so with the raft?"
"No, venerable sir."
"By doing what, would he be doing the right thing with the raft? Bhikkhus, the man who has crossed over might think thus: 'This raft was of great service to me, I safely crossed over to the other shore by boarding it and putting forth effort with my hands and feet. What if I pulled it up to dry ground, or sink it in the water and go where I like?' A man doing that would be doing the right thing. Just so, bhikkhus, my Teaching is comparable to a raft for the purpose of crossing over and not for getting hold of. If you should give up even the Teaching which is wholesome, what about that which is not wholesome?
...
----------------
and another translation of the same portion:
----------------
...
"Monks, I will teach you the Dhamma compared to a raft, for the purpose of crossing over, not for the purpose of holding onto. Listen & pay close attention. I will speak."
"As you say, lord," the monks responded to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said: "Suppose a man were traveling along a path. He would see a great expanse of water, with the near shore dubious & risky, the further shore secure & free from risk, but with neither a ferryboat nor a bridge going from this shore to the other. The thought would occur to him, 'Here is this great expanse of water, with the near shore dubious & risky, the further shore secure & free from risk, but with neither a ferryboat nor a bridge going from this shore to the other. What if I were to gather grass, twigs, branches, & leaves and, having bound them together to make a raft, were to cross over to safety on the other shore in dependence on the raft, making an effort with my hands & feet?' Then the man, having gathered grass, twigs, branches, & leaves, having bound them together to make a raft, would cross over to safety on the other shore in dependence on the raft, making an effort with his hands & feet. 7 Having crossed over to the further shore, he might think, 'How useful this raft has been to me! For it was in dependence on this raft that, making an effort with my hands & feet, I have crossed over to safety on the further shore. Why don't I, having hoisted it on my head or carrying on my back, go wherever I like?' What do you think, monks: Would the man, in doing that, be doing what should be done with the raft?"
"No, lord."
"And what should the man do in order to be doing what should be done with the raft? There is the case where the man, having crossed over, would think, 'How useful this raft has been to me! For it was in dependence on this raft that, making an effort with my hands & feet, I have crossed over to safety on the further shore. Why don't I, having dragged it on dry land or sinking it in the water, go wherever I like?' In doing this, he would be doing what should be done with the raft. In the same way, monks, I have taught the Dhamma compared to a raft, for the purpose of crossing over, not for the purpose of holding onto. Understanding the Dhamma as taught compared to a raft, you should let go even of Dhammas, to say nothing of non-Dhammas."
...
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