The Parable of the Raft

The Buddha was addressing a group of monks who were arguing over the exact interpretation of his teachings, becoming dogmatic and attached to the words.

'Monks,' the Buddha said, 'imagine a traveler walking on a long journey. He comes to a vast, raging river. The near shore is dangerous and terrifying, while the far shore is safe and peaceful. But there is no bridge, and no ferry to cross.

'The traveler gathers wood, branches, and vines, and lashes them together to build a sturdy raft. Using his hands and feet, he paddles hard and successfully crosses the dangerous river to the safe shore.

'Now, the traveler thinks to himself: "This raft has been immensely helpful to me. It saved my life. I should not just leave it here. I will lift it onto my head and carry it with me for the rest of my journey on dry land."

'What do you think, monks? Is that man doing what should be done with the raft?'

'No, Lord,' the monks replied. 'The raft is heavy. It will only slow him down on dry land.'

'Exactly,' the Buddha said. 'The proper thing to do is to pull the raft up onto the beach, leave it behind, and walk away freely.'

The Buddha looked at his disciples. 'I have taught you the Dhamma as a raft—it is for crossing over the river of suffering, not for holding onto. You must not cling to it as an identity or a dogma to fight over. Once you have reached the shore of peace, you must let go of even the teachings themselves.'