The Parable of the Raft in Early Buddhism: Right View and Non-clinging

The parable of the raft is one of the most famous early Buddhist parables. We'll look at it in context in this video, illustrating its place in a particularly profound early sutta.
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[@DougsDharma]

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[@keroberos2781]

Excited to see that your channel is growing and reaching more people each day. Great video, by the way, I'd been pondering on Right View for some time now and this helps a lot.

[@DougsDharma]

Great, thanks Kero!

[@nnnn65490]

today I learned the word detritus

[@DougsDharma]

😄

[@soundhealingbygene]

we should view thoughts, opinions, assumptions, biases, preferences, interests, emotions, feelings, perspectives, perceptions or otherwise as continually going down a river as leaves go down the river

[@shantanushekharsjunerft9783]

I think Arittha was not only mistaken in the spirit of the Dharma but also in the letter of the Dharma. His fallacy was not paying attention to his own "intention" when putting forth his argument. Right intention, according to Buddha, has 3 components: intentions of renunciation, intention of good will, and intention of harmlessness. Arittha's arguments were violating the "intentions of renunciation" and had an intention of desire for sensual pleasures. Thank you Doug for picking up such an interesting Sutra!

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, that's a very sensible interpretation Shantanu, you're very welcome!

[@geoffh2560]

Thanks Doug I wasn't familiar with the parable of the raft. I like the notion of clinging-on being ok temporarily to survive rough waters, but not desirable on a permanent basis. Interesting!

[@DougsDharma]

Yes it's quite a nuanced and interesting parable!

[@hermenutic]

Thank you. I enjoy your talks. Very helpful for those passerbys on the Way.

[@DougsDharma]

So nice of you to say. 🙏

[@TheWayOfRespectAndKindness]

Thank you 🙏🏼

[@DougsDharma]

You’re welcome! 😊

[@paulomoreira995]

Amazing as always :-)

[@DougsDharma]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@chriskaplan6109]

Adding this context did help deepen my understanding here, thank you Doug. 🙏

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure!

[@paulinewqi]

The parable of the raft is indeed touching a nerve for me. I am beginning to realize that lots of my beliefs are kind of endorsed in early Buddhism teachings. But before discovering you, I was not aware of Secular Buddhism, so was rather tortured by my belief that I was not true to the Buddhist path. Even now, I am having problems with my clinging to my rituals and rites of decades of Taoist/Chan Buddhism. May I ask you( hope I am not being personal), how did you leave your Zen Buddhism lifestyle?...like overnight change to Secular Buddhism?.... Thanks very much for all inspiring videos. I watch them daily, sometimes, over and over, especially certain Dharma talks which are very thought provoking, thus disrupting my walking meditations alot...

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome Pauline! As for Zen Buddhism, in many ways it's pretty close to a secular practice, in that it doesn't put a whole lot of emphasis on believing certain things. For me, Zen was mostly about "just sitting", and when I was in a Zendo it was "just sitting" with incense and bells and clappers and kinhin and chants and other practitioners -- something I don't do right now but I have great fondness for and wouldn't mind doing now and then in the future. I'd say basically I was never not a secular practitioner, though when I was much younger I was too unformed to really know the distinction.

[@michaelhanford8139]

Letting go the raft reminds me of the observation that at some point the craving (motivation) for becoming enlightened must be (will be?) let go just as one let go of the more coarse cravings.

[@DougsDharma]

That's right, all cravings must eventually be let go. See this earlier video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIXUmpWCgr5kgq8

[@corsaircaruso471]

With Arishta’s (sp?) argument, it almost sounds like he considers the monastics *less* skilled at pursuing the path, that monastics can only achieve high attainment via external constraints against sensual pleasures, as opposed to laypeople who can achieve high levels of attainment without such constraints.

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks for that Corsair, interesting! I don't think Ariṭṭha is arguing that monastics are less skilled, just that they are committed to practices that are unnecessary. The Buddha strenuously disagrees.

[@IndianRaptorPack]

I learned two things from this video. 1. The word "deluge." 2. The Buddha wasn't "nicey nice" (Love the way you phrased it) Thanks as always, Doug, for expanding my knowledge... and my vocabulary.

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome Div, glad to add to your storehouse of knowledge! 🙂

[@photistyx]

I love that you mentioned the building materials of the raft. Had it been the parable of the sturdy, durable, pre-built boat, the message would have been subtly, yet significantly different. I'm guessing that it's no coincidence that the other simile is a snake, not another more prestigious dangerous animal, such as a lion.

[@DougsDharma]

Quite right photystix! Although regarding the snake I think it had a different connotation in ancient India (more as a mystically powerful creature) than in the contemporary West for example. So reading the nuances may require some subtlety.

[@umarkhayam4403]

Sadhu....

[@DougsDharma]

🙏

[@xiaomaozen]

"They just memorize the teaching for the sake of finding fault and winning debates." Then many Buddhist scholars should fear the bite of the snake! 🐍😧 😋🤭 Thanks for the video! I already knew the parable of the raft, but not its full context. Very instructive. 🙏

[@DougsDharma]

Yes ... it's a subtle teaching because the Buddha himself was quite an accomplished debater!

[@Mary.R.]

I must admit, it caught me by surprise to learn that Buddha actually chastised and berated someone for having opposing views, specially since Arittha's argument (if I say his name correctly!) actually makes so much sense and I personally align with him on his views about the issues of monastery and pleasures; whether it's Buddhist monks or Catholic bishops... If I'm not mistaken, Buddha himself had said that we should not just believe everything others say, not even Buddha himself; unless it makes sense to us and we think it is the right approach. So, it really astounded me! (Also, apparently Buddha did not believe in Intellectual Property. As he said our ideas are not our own and we must not cling to them! :D Some IP lawyers will have a field day hearing this...! JK.)

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, the Buddha had definite opinions on Right View, but also indeed he said we should not take his word for anything he was saying, but instead we should try it out and see for ourselves. I think there is also a difference between being a "lay follower" and becoming a monastic. The latter path is a lot more dedicated and involves agreeing to the monastic rules.

[@Mary.R.]

@@DougsDharma Thanks for the clarification. I think if there wasn't a difference between a layman and a monk, the idea of awakening would have been a lot more intriguing. It would have indicated that literally anyone can reach enlightenment in their own way, without following specific rituals. Anyways, I don't think I'm qualified enough to try to change thousands-years tradition and school of thought! :D (and maybe my own pre-notion on this issue was the source of my confusion.) I immensely enjoyed this topic of discussion. Thank you for the video.

[@DipayanPyne94]

@@Mary.R. Rituals were not a part of Early Buddhism. Buddha was opposed to rituals and prayer. Also, as far as Enlightenment is concerned, Buddha believed that anyone can achieve it. However, he believed that not any lifestyle can lead you to the goal. Any lifestyle that involves a lot of attachment makes it difficult for the person to stop clinging. I guess that's the reason he believed that it is necessary to become a monastic ...

[@Mary.R.]

@@DipayanPyne94 Thank you for your input :)

[@DipayanPyne94]

@@Mary.R. My Pleasure ! 😄 Metta ! 🙏🏼

[@user-ic4ce8xb5v]

🙏

[@DougsDharma]

🙏

[@aliciamontero7061]

Thanks Dough!. I didn't know the metaphor of the snake. It sounds to me like a substance that can be a poison or a medicine, depending on how it is used. Happy Vesak! 🙏🏻☸️🙏🏻 Greetings from Andalucía, Southern Spain, Southern Europe 🌍

[@DougsDharma]

¡Gracias Alicia! Me encanta Andalucía. 🙏🙂

[@ronstill727]

Struggled with this one Doug.....the raft is life....it is formed from conception....it is created from what creates life....it is a vehicle that been put together to enable a person to exist....a raft will only float if it is fit for purpose...

[@DougsDharma]

Well that's one way to look at it Ron, though in early Buddhism taking the raft is very much an intentional decision to commit to a kind of practice. We can also decide just to stay on the near shore -- that's what most people do.

[@saraondo2698]

This is an interesting teaching on non attachment. Letting go of the Dharma once one has crossed over and arrived. At that point letting go of the three jewels may be the ultimate test. It's like train wheels on a bike. You needed them then u don't. You rarely think about them but ur grateful for their teachings. Does an Olympian bicyclist think about his training wheels while in the race, i doubt it. Letting go of the attachment of the attachment while still benefiting from it? Great teaching. I'm not there yet. Hear my squeeky training wheels? Thanks

[@DougsDharma]

Yes, I think we're basically all on training wheels around here Sara ... but anyway it's good to get an idea where we're going! 🙂

[@tomfeller6707]

Hi Doug, this teaching has always created a challenge for me. My family and love ones have a great value to me. If I can never reach enlightenment without abandoning my commitment to family then is that a realistic choice? Would the world really be better if no one ever got married or had children or never held jobs or never produced food? It seems that these kind of restrictions are part of the monastic path but I am not that everyone can or should follow the monastic path. But then can the dharma (the raft) bring us to a better place?

[@DougsDharma]

Well if you, like me, are attached to your family, then perhaps you shouldn't be thinking in terms of going all the way to enlightenment in the immediate future. That would be a tall order anyway! Perhaps you should think of moving along that gradual path by relaxing around some of the ordinary clingings that make life difficult. There's a lot to get done right here and now.

[@tomfeller6707]

@@DougsDharma Clearly, that is a path. To me it still leaves open the exact nature of the four noble truths. Is my only option reduce suffering? Not end suffering.? But perhaps that is enough. 😀

[@gerhargomguz]

Thanks Rob !

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome! But who's Rob? 😀

[@user-tt1pn7vw2g]

You are doing great job Sir. Can you pls tell us,1) which aggregate of mind does the act of mental verbalization? And what is the meaning of arising and passing of consciousness?

[@DougsDharma]

Thanks Sahayyak! I believe verbalization comes through perception, which recognizes things. Consciousness comes in six types depending on its sense-base, and so each arises and passes as we go from base to base or indeed go to sleep.

[@user-tt1pn7vw2g]

@@DougsDharma Thank you for the reply Sir.

[@Giantcrabz]

It's a pretty clever argument tbh

[@DougsDharma]

Yes it's very interesting I think!

[@noagenda4035]

What would you say is the difference between or is there no difference between the following statements a) whatever arises will pass. b) whatever is passed will come back. In my experience the world is more b than a. Because when my anger passes away today I know it will come back another time more clearly than in the moment of being angry and being aware intuitively that this will pass away. I hope my question is making sense.

[@DougsDharma]

Well if (b) were true then the Third Noble Truth would not be true. In general though it's not literally that things come back, rather it's that there are similarities between past and future. Just as there was ignorance and suffering in the past, so there will in the future. But it is always changing, and so the type and character of ignorance and suffering will also change. This is generally the case, though if we are to believe the Third Noble Truth there is theoretically a way out of ignorance and suffering.

[@noagenda4035]

@@DougsDharma thanks

[@hl5bxw]

So I understand that whoever talks about the raft, that person is not enlightened. A patient uses crutches, and he does not need them after he is cured. Do I make sense?

[@DougsDharma]

Yes that’s a good way to look at it. 🙏

[@bhagwaaanjiii]

Indeed a very insightful talk. Thanks a lot. Sir, what is the difference between Arhat and Bodhisattva?

[@DougsDharma]

Well this is a big topic, but traditionally an arahant is one who has reached enlightenment and therefore will not be reborn again. A bodhisattva is someone who isn't looking for enlightenment but rather for full Buddhahood and has therefore put off enlightenment in order to be of service to sentient beings.

[@michaelhanford8139]

Theoretically, if one does not attach to an action nor its fruits, then there are no 'forbidden' actions, no? Ah...can get far down the path but not all the way there👍 - a modern sophist 😂 PS I've heard it said that once one gets so far down the path, it is no longer in one to engage in various acts & thoughts. Seems like this bridges the two positions in the debate you recounted to us here. On a personal note, while at monastery i had a dream of a two headed snake, not seeing the 2nd it bit me when i went to grasp it. Never heard the snake analogy before now. Hmm! thank you Doug.

[@michaelhanford8139]

In retrospect, yes i was 'personalizing' the dhamma, using it to feel more advanced than others/a tool to find fault in others. Double Thanks, Doug.

[@DougsDharma]

My pleasure! Yes there is a lot to learn from these texts. 😊

[@tomeryaha6151]

Like Wittgenstein's ladder

[@DougsDharma]

It's similar, though I think Wittgenstein was forced into a kind of paradox whereas the Buddha's parable isn't really paradoxical. It's all about non-attachment.

[@wint7031]

He who becomes a monk being in Buddha's orders, must obey the monk law. 1). Not to kill. 2)Not to steal. 3) Not to perform Sex acts. 4) Not to lie. Monk Araithta has a tricky thinks that some lay people who sees sotapanna or sakadagami widom can sleep with their wives. That why should Araitha suppose to play with someone. No. you are monk!

[@DougsDharma]

Yes and the Buddha wanted to make this very clear I think.

[@westsidesmitty1]

I'd love to read the complete collection of Suttas and commentaries. But, so far, as limited by time, am presently limited to compilations such as '' In the Buddha's words (Boddhi). These do not generally contextualize with the ''More skillful way to catch a snake'' (which I'd read in Thich Nhat Hahn, but without the ''raft context.). As with the Christian parables (The Wedding guest is the worst- it reads like pure discrimination and without my mother to explain it , would have left a VERY bad taste. I suspect most ''parables'' require a cultural grounding, as far as that goes. ''The snake will bite you'! Unless I've missed some of your work, this is a new genre, and holds endless possibilities. I've read too many specious treatments of (especially) the shorter discourses. Combining and contextualizing them is a break through, especially given the experience of the audience you have amassed. I look forward to many more of these. P.S. I cannot easily say (and my verbosity does not delimit) my appreciation for the load you shouldered during thid pandemic. Next week. I get my second shot and papers and return to the Wat. This could have easily been time lost, and between the 5' stack of books I studied and your channel, turned this time to, what I feel was skillful use. Many thanks.

[@DougsDharma]

You're very welcome of course Smitty, I too always enjoy your comments! Enjoy your return! 🙏