Issue

9th Issue (September, 2008)

Metaphorical Illustrations: The World and the Absolute Truth

K.Wong

Introduction

Religious masters show the propensities for illustrating the relationship between the empirical world and the Absolute Truth with the aid of metaphors. Śākyamuni Buddha, Brahman, Jesus and Muhammad utilized metaphors to expound the highest Truth of Ultimate Reality. They might use similar or dissimilar metaphors or parables to communicate the communal Truth of wisdom. The most common metaphor utilized to illustrate the relationship between the phenomenal world and the Absolute Truth is that of waves and the borderless Ocean respectively. The Metaphor of the borderless Ocean and Waves is the most lucid device to shed light on the relationship between the unreal conventional Truth and the real ultimate Truth. The Absolute or Ultimate Truth is Brahman, Tao, Buddha, God or Allah. Each of them is best compared to the metaphor of the borlderless Ocean. The phenomenal world is best likened to the metaphor of waves. When similar metaphors are utilized by religious masters of dissimilar religious denominations to illustrate their dissimilarly designated Godheads and the phenomenal world, we can convincingly jump to the conclusion that there are many masters and yet, they communicate one communal message of Truth or Wisdom using dissimilar designations of God heads.

Waves and Ocean

Let’s examine the function of the metaphor of the Ocean and waves. This metaphor is fondly used by Buddhist and Sufi religious masters, apostles, gurus or teachers to elucidate the relationship between the world and the Absolute. The waves represent the phenomenal world and the Ocean represents the God or Buddha. When the Ocean is calm without the disturbance of any wind, the waves merge with the Ocean. This is the union of non-duality between the saved believer and the Absolute. When the Ocean is disturbed by the wind of ignorance, the waves are aroused and formed again. This metaphorical illustration by the metaphor of wind describes the chatter of the mind of an ordinary worldling. The inner Heart – the original nature of Buddha or the essence of the God is metaphorically compared to the unfathomed ocean depth. The unfathomed ocean depth is always tranquil as it is never touched by the winds above. Likewise, whoever has returned esoterically or inwardly to this inner Heart, no storm of life will swamp him or her. The inner Heart is imperturbable as it is the complete silence of the mind. This is our real home where Man takes refuge in. An esoteric return to the inner Heart is self-redemption which is salvation. The Mahāyānists designate the inner Heart as the Buddha-nature or True Self. The Vedāntins label it as either Ātman or Brahman. The Taoists regard it as the source of Tao. The Christians call it God, Jesus or Holy Spirit. The Sufis designate it as ‘Al-fanā’ (annihilation of self-centric ego).The Muslims lebel it as ‘Baqā’ (reunion with God).

Vehicles and Destination

Dissimilar religions, such as, Vedānta of Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Neo-confucianism, Christianity and Islam or Sufism employ dissimilar vehicles to reach the same soteriological destination. The destination is the goal of salvation attainable by the elimination of one’s self-centric ego. Thus, different pedagogies are metaphorically utilized to illustrate the dissimilar expedient devices or pedagogical approaches of different religions. The apparent differences of various religions are merely exoteric or external. Esoterically or internally, they are identical. The identical agenda is to obliterate one self-centric ego so that one lives in the knowledge of the Absolute or in unity with all.

 Gotama Buddha utilized the metaphor of different rivers converging and flowing eventually into the ocean to describe different religious practices to eventually actualize the goal of deliverance (vimutti). Deliverance is the complete annihilation of self-centric ego. Annihilation of self-centric ego purifies the mind.Deliverance requires that a perfect worldview is developed from learning, thinking and cultivation of the Dharma. The right view of the world is that the world is insubstantial or empty of inherent existence and is dependently co-arisen from the unity of contigent conditions. It is the ignorant superimposition of self-centric ego that a Buddhist is veiled from developing the right view of the empirical world as it really is. The Truth is that the phenomenal world is illusive and only absolute Truth of Buddha is real. In monotheist religions,such as Judaism, Christianity and Islamic Sufism, the multiplicity of the phenomenal world illusive and unreal. Multiplicity is the only the image or shadow of God. Only God is real. Anything other than God is unreal. Therefore, theosophically and pantheistically, Buddhism and Monotheism are identical in terms of the Thomistic metaphysics expressed as the One in the many and the many in the One.

Moon and Sun

The Mahāyāna Zen masters or patriarchs prefer to adopt the metaphor of reflected moons and sky moon to distinguish between the conventional truth and the ultimate Truth respectively. The unreal and illusive conventional truth is akin to the metaphor of unreal reflected moons in the water. The real ultimate Truth is likened to the real Moon in the sky. The reflected moons are just the images of the real moon in the sky. They also like to employ the metaphor of the sun and cloud to illustrate the ultimate truth and the conventional truth respectively. The sun is not visible when is obscured by the dark cloud. When the cloud is moved away, the sun is revealed. The sun metaphorically represents the ultimate Truth of ultimate Reality or the essence the Buddha. The dark cloud metaphorically represents the conventional truth which conceals the ultimate Truth of Ultimate Reality. It also represents a deluded mind directed and empowered by illusive self-centric ego. The manifest sun represents the station of intuition or gnosis.

Lotus Flower

Finally, Gotama Buddha compared a liberated saint such as an Arahant or Bodhisattva to the metaphor of a lotus flower : A lotus flower penetrates through the muddy soil and sullied water, and spring forth and above the surface of the sullied water. Yet, it remains unsullied. The Arahant and Bodhisattva are undefiled by the phenomenal world while they are dwelling in the mundane world.

Personilized God

God is actually ineffable, impersonal Truth since it is beyond the human senses. Nevertheless, the Prophets of monotheism personify the impersonal Truth of God in their sermons so that the believers can practise the path of devotion or love to their God more easily. The personalification of God is merely an expedient device or pedagogical strategy to transmit the message of the Truth God to the devotees or believers. If God is not personified, the Truth of God might prove to be too abstruse to the devotees of average capacity. Furthermore, personification of God creates a more intimate affinity with God. Thus the image of God can be remembered more easily.

Likewise, the Mahāyānists of the Pure Land tradition also employ the personified Buddha to help the Buddhists to recite the name of the Buddha and to gain rebirth in the Pure Land. The Amitābha Buddha has been personified to facilitate the teaching and practice. However, Pure Land practioners must take heed that even though the pedagogy has been personified as the a skllful means of teaching and learning, Amitābha Buddha must not be reified as an concrete object. Personality reification is a form of grasping upon the five aggregates. This is an incorrigible backfire in the practice. Whoever reifies the Buddha or God will be impeded in his or her reunion with Amitābha Buddha. There should be no whatsoever grasping upon the image of the Buddha. Grasping defiles the mind and impedes rebirth into the Pure Land. Therefore, to be on the safe side, Chan practice of mental purification should be incorporated in the Pure Land practice of the recitation of the name of the Amitābha Buddha. This is known as the double cultivation of Chan and Pure Land. The principle of non-grasping upon the five aggregates must be adhered to at all time in all religious practice. Non-grasping upon the five aggregates obliterates the self-centric ego. The key practice in all religious salvation is the complete annihilation of the self-centric ego.

Shepherd and Sheep

In Christianity, Jesus Christ employed the metaphor of shepherd to describe the guiding role of God. The ordinary worldlings or unsaved believers are like sheep. The sheep must constantly be guided and led by the shepherd to return home safely. When a sheep has gone astray, the shepherd will search for the sheep so that it will return home safely. Likewise,ordinary human beings have gone astray. It is the God’s duty to guide and help them to return to their real home - the inner Heart in which God dwells. Ordinary worldlings have been using their conceptual or intellectual mind to perceive the world. But conceptual or intellectual mind can only perceive the conventional truth. Religion awakens Man to perceive the ultimate Truth with the intuitive mind. This is an important communal Truth of Wisdom expounded by all religions.

Effective Pedagogy

The advantage of preaching the Truth through metaphors is that what is abstruse and profound are made lucid and less complex to the learners. In fact, Gotama Buddha went to the extent of promulgating that if Truth cannot be illustrated by a metaphor or parable, it is not the Truth. The close examination of the early discourses of Gotama Buddha in the Tipiṭaka of the Theravāda tradition unveils an interesting fact. The fact is that Gotama Buddha was actually very adept at employing various or diverge metaphors to deliver his discourses.

Metaphors in Chan or Zen

Esoteric religion is abstruse and difficult to comprehend and realize. Its discernment requires intuitive perception not ordinary perception. Appropriate illustrative metaphors employed help in human discernment of Truth. That Gotama Buddha was adept in utilizing metaphors in his pedagogy mirrors that he was a professional instructor of Dharma. A suitable metaphor is just like crane used in constructing a high rise building in a city. Without a crane, it is would be a teething problem to carry the construction materials up a high rise structure. A crane helps solve this teething problem perfectly. The unmanifest Reality of ultimate Truth is abstruse. A suitable metaphor may kindle the initial spark of the sudden enlightenment or mystical intuition. The use of Koans incorporated with metaphors in Chan or Zen Buddhism had and has helped in activating the instantaneous enlightenment experiences of many Zen Masters or Patriarchs in the history of Chan Buddhism in China or Zen Buddhism in Japan. The Koans are useful in cutting off conceptualization and help activate self-awakening through the intuitive mind. Meditation is very helpful as it shifts the conceptual or intellectual mind into the gear of intuitive mind of the inner Heart. Meditation silences the chatter of the mind and shifts the mind of conceptualization into the mind of intuition.

Conclusion

The metaphors remove doubts over the ultimate Truth concealed by the conventional Truth. Furthermore, the ultimate Truth is ineffable and therefore abstruse; the conventional truth is illusive like dream, magic or mirage. Without the aid of metaphors, the ineffable Truth cannot be easily communicated nor can it be intuitively realized by the fresh learners or cultivators. The intellectual, metaphorical illustrations prepare the foundation for the worldlings to intuitively discern the ultimate Truth which liberates the sentient beings. For those learners or practitioners who have reached maturity in their learning or practice, a suitable metaphor may be a small step but may prove to be a giant leap for the discerning one. An appropriate metaphor uttered by a supreme master can be very inspirational and very unveiling for those who are readily prepared spiritually for it. I personally opine and conceive that the metaphor of the ‘Waves and the Shoreless Ocean’ is the most appropriate metaphor to illustrate the relationship between the world of conventional truth and ultimate Truth of the God or Buddha. Without the aid of this metaphor, it is indeed abstruse to discern the distinction between the two-fold truth of the manifest multiplicity and unmanifest unity. The knowledge of the distinction between them is the Mind of the Buddha or God.